This last weekend at the lake house something struck me that my dad said as I was typing away at the laptop, (Connected to Internet SWIPED from across the lake via wireless!) That was “What would you guys do without the laptops, email and Internet at the job?” That is a good question. Now sure, this is the very technology I sell so it would be impossible to ignore the technology and still do my job. However the others in the room do not sell the technology, the manage people, deliver services and help people and that does not REQUIRE these tools.
So taking this to the next level, it was further commented that “Think how much time you would have if you were not doing email and such” Kind of a funny statement since this technology was created to save us time? Does it? The bigger statement might be is the technology now a distraction to the real job? I suggest that it is, or at least does have that role quite a bit.
I can barely remember the time in which I did not use these tools daily. Thinking back to my first real job at Radio Shack (Again a technology company (Or at least used to be)) Sure, we had computer systems, however we did not have a real corporate email system, we just used the tool to transmit sales numbers and inventory. We did not spend minutes or hours working on emails or other. Nope, we picked up the telephone and discussed performance and other issues via voice. If we had to send documents we faxed them!
Of all the emails that you deal with, how many could be handled over the phone more effectively?
Of all the electronic communication you do with clients, how many could or should be handled in person or on the phone more productively and this would further the relationship? As I sit here typing this on my Laptop, should I be actually calling someone and seeing how they are? (OK they probably are in bed so not such a good idea.)
This is just the beginning of a digital awareness that I am looking at. I will update you as I begin dissecting the world we have created and the efficiencies that we think we are using. The extreme example are the teenagers that I hear about that text each other when they are sitting at the same table. Are we headed there?
I still am a digital guy. I will still push that agenda. However, I will look at it as an tool versus a way to avoid real communication.
1 comment:
While there are so many wonderful qualities to technology, there are some aspects it can't replace. I just posted my blog on a similar subject when I turned to your blog to catch up. It's hard to remember life before laptops, microwaves, cell phones...and I don't think I care to remember anyway!
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