When it comes to technology, I am what's known as a "late adopter". I still use a leather-bound dayplanner instead of a palm pilot. My cell phone has the absolute minimum number of features possible. I upgrade software on my computer at the last possible moment and usually under protest. I have never bought into the notions that newer is better than old, and faster is better than slow. And my blog...well you can see I haven't adopted the latest techniques for creating a sassy, eye-catching blog (by the way, those are coming...but I'll be doing for the readers and not just for the sake of using new technology!
My reluctance to move faster in a "Fast Company" world was gratified when I saw When 110 Percent is Too Muchon the MSN Careers page. Anthony Balderrama writes about how the pressure to excel (something I referred to in an earlier posting as business porn) has created business practices that range from counter-productive to downright silly. I especially liked the example of BlackBerrys that he gave:
"I used to use [a BlackBerry] when it first came out around the year 2000," remembers Victor Cheng, ... "I was working, thinking about work nearly 24/7 -- routinely replying to my CEO at midnight because he too was using his 'crack-berry.' Now that he's left that job and is the president of his own company, a BlackBerry is on his list of forbidden workplace items. He understands how much you can do with a few keystrokes of a smartphone, but he doesn't think anything substantial comes from them.
"As the chief decision maker of my company, getting out another e-mail rarely makes or breaks a company ... but blowing a big decision because I was continually getting interrupted by a [BlackBerry] is stupid. Achieving big results is about getting a few important things done right -- not about getting more little things done."
The key, of course, is identifying what those "few, important things" to get right, are. I should probably get off the computer now, and reflect on that question for my own business!
A friend told me how one of her co-workers, 2 rows away, would IM her with a qs on a project they were both working on.
She answers... and then he sends another.... she answers...
These interruptions went on until she tired of watching the IM program pausing as his latest missive was being tapped out (she could almost hear the key strokes!)
Tactfully she wandered over and asked him to "let's have a quick meeting"... which sorted out the issues for that day.
Back in the stone age I used something we called a "telephone" for those quick calls where getting up from the desk was a chore but there were a bunch of minor details requiring feedback.
Thinking about it later we both concluded that he probably wanted an "electronic paper trail" of almost everything he did and asked for. Scary, eh!
Posted by: Mark McClure Coaching | December 07, 2008 at 01:10 AM
Hello....I can't believe I have just discovered your blog. Very well done!
Like you, I am a career encourager too...awesome phrase, btw.
keep it up,
GL HOFFMAN
Minneapolis, MN
Posted by: GL Hoffman | December 07, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Interview Request
Hello Dear and Respected,
I hope you are fine and carrying on the great work you have been doing for the Internet surfers. I am Ghazala Khan from The Pakistani Spectator (TPS), We at TPS throw a candid look on everything happening in and for Pakistan in the world. We are trying to contribute our humble share in the webosphere. Our aim is to foster peace, progress and harmony with passion.
We at TPS are carrying out a new series of interviews with the notable passionate bloggers, writers, and webmasters. In that regard, we would like to interview you, if you don't mind. Please send us your approval for your interview at my email address "ghazala.khi at gmail.com", so that I could send you the Interview questions. We would be extremely grateful.
regards.
Ghazala Khan
The Pakistani Spectator
http://www.pakspectator.com
Posted by: Ghazala Khan | December 08, 2008 at 06:32 AM
I really like that. This is one of the best subject matters to be discussed in today's ever going 24/7 business climate. I am sitting here thinking about my own office and the people that work here, all of us have smartphones of one sort or another. Do they really provide the advantage they were intended for?
Posted by: Jason Monastra | December 08, 2008 at 09:51 PM
Get rid of gadgets and lifehacks. Well. I do love them. But after I downsized, I found that I had a lot more time available for myself and my family... in real life
Posted by: Mike | December 12, 2008 at 07:39 AM
Tactfully she wandered over and asked him to "let's have a quick meeting"... which sorted out the issues for that day
Posted by: erotik shop | February 20, 2010 at 05:42 AM