I would be in the terrified camp! Although I can see some benefits as I have to turn Outlook off when I need to concentrate on the job in hand because I am the worst culprit of checking my overflowing inbox too regularly which wastes a tremendous amount of time every day – thinking “that’ll just take a minute” and 15 minutes later I still haven’t returned to the previous task…
On the opposite side of the coin, we have a client who refuses to use email and insists on picking up the phone or sending a letter in the post when dealing with his day-to-day affairs. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with this in terms of us working with them; we have our monthly meetings, discuss things on the phone a few times a week and on the whole just get on with what we agree needs to happen. This way of working is very alien in today’s technology savvy world.
If we don’t manage to get back to him before 5pm then we have to wait until 9am the following day to speak or send an email that will be printed off for him to review with his morning post. We cannot get immediate decisions on certain things because he wants to see or physically feel something and looking online isn’t an option. It is a very traditional way of working and to most of us, very prohibitive.
However, this particular client has a very good work-life balance. He has a traditional mobile phone that he uses to make calls, a to-do list every day that he methodically works through (and has done for 40+ years) with minimal distractions. He attends industry trade shows all over the world and takes his customers and prospects out to lunch. His PA will respond to his emails making it clear that it is she and not he doing so. He works extremely hard and has built a very successful business, even managing to win new international work despite his reluctance to become part of our “always-on” society.
We are about to roll-out a digital marketing campaign for this company and although our client understands the reason for doing so he also wants no part in it!
What about you? Do you spend too much time online?
I definitely do – I have a phone that I use to make voice calls, send text messages, check emails, surf the web and also have dozens of apps on it to make my life easier when I’m away from my laptop. Being cut off from technology really does terrify me – which is why maybe I should give it a go…
…maybe!
