Technology is distruptive

Technology is distruptive

Modern technology is wonderful. I am all for it. By the same token, however, I think it can also create a lot of problems–both in life and at the workplace.

Click HERE to read an interesting article about “infomania” where researchers have found people’s IQs actually drop in certain circumstances that involve technology. Frankly, I am not surprised, but I am concerned.

Something is just not right in our society today when people cannot make it through a meeting–much less a bathroom break–without checking their phone for a text or playing a game. I get that technology is amazing and that it can enhance life, but I do question when it becomes THE way we experience it.

Honestly, I cannot count the times I have talked with people who periodically check their phones throughout a conversation. Maybe they apologize or maybe not, but would any of us break into another conversation with someone if someone else was already talking to us?
I do not own a smart phone and I have no plans to own one either. If I am too busy to pick up a phone and talk to someone or provide someone with my undivided attention, then maybe I need to take a sick day. I say this tongue and cheek, but I do think it would be helpful if all of us take a moment to reflect on how we use technology.

Technology is a tool–and on occasion–any tool needs to be put down. You just might surprise yourself, too, and those around you when you holster your smart phone and go rogue and insist on face to face communications. Handshakes and hugs mean more than smiley faces and LOLs.

It can’t be that difficult, right?

It can’t be that difficult, right?

That’s what I sometimes say to myself when I tackle a seemingly simply task only to discover there is a lot more to it, which is why this line of logic can and should extend far beyond the theoretical. What I mean is that there is no such thing as a truly simple task whenever a decision needs to be made, because those decisions could touch on the need to really strategize something.

For instance, you need a flyer made to promote an event. Simple, right? What could go wrong? Well, your mission statement might be really long and not fit right next to your logo. Maybe you have 6 sponsors for the event and only 4 have sent you Jpegs of their logos and you are desperate to proceed. Deciding who to leave off a flyer could have disastrous implications. It is a seemingly simple task that ties into business strategy.

With this in mind, I try to explain as much as I can with whomever I am working, so they get he bigger picture. No one works well in the dark, so why not shed some light? It does not take too much time–and the time it does take to explain is well worth the investment.

What is your New Year’s Resolution?

What is your New Year’s Resolution?

2015 is here, and that means many of us are thinking about implementing big plans in the coming year. These could be personal plans, ones that strictly pertain to business, or a mixture of both? Why set goals of any kind? Good question, and the answer (in my humble opinion and with some knowledge of supporting research) is that people work better with well-defined goals. Without an understanding of what we want or need to achieve, we are apt to get derailed in our quest.

In work and life, goals can help clarify things. They can provide us with some much need motivation as well as provide us with solid benchmarks to measure success. While it is a bit arbitrary, the start of a new year really does represent a great time to take stock of where you are in your life and work.

Are you happy with your job? Are you fulfilled? Are your personal relationships fulfilling? Do you feel anxious about big parts of your life? Take stock of yourself and do not be afraid to acknowledge if you sense some deficiencies. Frankly, society is very much geared toward not encouraging us to feel insecure or unsure of ourselves. We must have the latest smartphone, shiniest car, fanciest whatever. I do not think we need to subscribe to those things.

When we have goals, we have a framework for action. Goals can be good if approached with seriousness as well as some humor, because many of us are probably in a career or at some point in our lives for which we never planned 10 to 15 years ago. It is called aging, and it is a necessary and quite befuddling process. It is 2015 and a great time to find out what you want to achieve in your work and life.