Does Technology Make You Less Productive?
From Yahoo! News – Most U.S. workers say they feel rushed on the job, but they are getting less accomplished than a decade ago, according to newly released research.
Workers completed two-thirds of their work in an average day last year, down from about three-quarters in a 1994 study…
The biggest culprit is the technology that was supposed to make work quicker and easier…Technology. It's pervasive – mobile phones, voice mail, email, instant messaging, text messaging, web-sites, blogs, on-line databases, etc. The list is long and impossible to escape.
Interruptions happen faster and more often. And collaboration increases the workload. A wicked combination – more work and more interruptions. You can jump from one to five projects within minutes.
Not so long ago in my career, my work life required travel around the world…continuously. No matter where I was, the workload back home never relented – mobile phones and email awaited every destination. Deadlines continued. And the wicked courtesy copy brought me into every discussion. Sure, you can delete things, but not until you've spent time in thought. It never ended.
Was I then and am I now less productive? I don't think so. But I'm sure quality suffered on more than one occasion. There is never time to solely dedicate yourself to one task.
One of the biggest downfalls of technology is expectations of response. People believe and expect that since they can leave you a message or send email quickly, you should listen, read, and respond as fast. Trying to respond as quickly as messages receive is probably the greatest deterrents to productivity as you are merely responding to never ending interruptions.
Maybe what's needed isn't less technology, but more time management.
Here's a quick example of what I'm thinking about: Not long ago I was at a friend's house for dinner. The phone rings…and the race is on to answer it. Why? Because it rang. Our conversation stopped so an unexpected phone call could be answered. The same thing happens with email, instant messaging, voicemail, mobile phones, etc. It calls and we stop everything we're doing to answer. It calls more often and we get less done.
I believe the research is correct. Overall, we're less productive with technology than without. Bu the problem isn't the technology; it's the human in charge of it.
What do you think?
Operations | admin | 23 February 2006 |
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By Dan Boos, January 1, 2007 @ 6:59 pm
Jim Logan’s entry on the potential negative influence that technology may be having on manager’s is on the mark. particularly when suggesting that the issue is really one of effective time management. I’ve coached many CEOs and have come across this issue time and time again. The question that needs to be asked is “Does increased accessibility result in increased productivity. The answer is not an uncomplicated one. Ready accessibility can be invaluable in seizing opportunities and can often prevent an executive from being blind-sided by unscheduled and unexpected events. In these cases, acessibility can be invaluable. However, in most other cases, free accessibility can be distracting, and generally encourages and supports ineffective leadership practices. Inept time management skills, overt micro-management tactics, limitation of resource leverage and therefore development and a diminished work/life balance program are all negative practices encouraged by free accessibilitythrough technology. It’s often easier to fall victim to the latest advancement in communication devices by forgetting that these are tools to be used by executives, not tools to abuse executives or managers. Smart use of these tools requires a little discipline in setting up protocols for its use. Some of those protocos need to be communicated to those who send you messages and some are to be directed at yourself. Protocols should reflect under whar circumstances you wish to be contacted and at what times you will engage the use of the selected communication tool. Just one added note, if there is one negative trend that appears to be having its way CEOs today, it is the lack of discipline in setting aside think refection and creation think time for themselves and their leadership teams. I hope that this blog is of service to the reader. Dan J. Boos, President/Managing Partner – Gorillas & Gazelles LLC.