Technology Manners & Management

Are you still trying to figure a better way to manage your time? I beg you - wake up! What follows in this article I hope will help you realize it is not time management that you need, but rather Technology Management. And please, I would like to add one more (and probably what I consider to be the most important) part; Technology Manners and Management.

The Management

All the gadgets and gizmos are available to help our lives be easier, faster, sharper, brighter, you name it, and if it is not on the shelf today more than likely it will be tomorrow. Wonderful! So why is it that so many continue to seek out how to manage their time? After doing several training programs on time managementI have come to realize that it is ones technology management which is the true root of most time management issues. With today's technology continuously updating it is no wonder why many get stuck in a rut and in a state of confusion and thus blame “lack of time" as the culprit.

Take control of your time by re-evaluating the technology tools you already use. Do you need to access your email often? If you do, is your cell phone equipped with internet or do you need a Blackberry? You don't have time to learn how to get your email on your cell phone? Are you sure??? Think about it this way"¦can you afford NOT to learn how to do this? Spending a little time now may save a LOT of time later.

Once you conquer the technology tools you currently use (and start using them to your full advantage), start checking out what else is available. What are your co-workers or your friends using that is really working well for them. Word-of-mouth is still one of the best advertisements out there! I encourage you to challenge yourself to learn at least a couple of new concepts a week. By the end of this year you will have learned more than two dozen new technology tricks to help you conquer any time management concern you may have had.

The Manners

What about our “Manners"? It's nobody's fault that we've all but thrown our manners out the window when using our technology devices. Baby Boomers and Traditionalists were just as excited about new cell phones and computers as the Generation X and Y. Because the advanced technology came rapidly and was new to everyone at the same time, the rules and boundaries were never really set. Personal and professional technology etiquette is now a common request by business owners. An astounding number of employees are abusing technology manners and have cost businesses relationships and, in some cases, monetary losses.

A Social Media Policy will help your employees to know and understand their boundaries. If you do not want your employees to use Facebook during business hours, your social media policy should state that. What is your written policy on personal cell phones? Texting? Instant messaging? Etc., etc., etc.

A social media policy will not solve all of how your employees manners' are affected, but it will definitely give them a place to start! The question of a Social Media Policy is not whether you should have one, but rather how fast can you get one effectively in place!

Gail Hermesch
Professional Development Trainer & Speaker
CompetitivEdge Business Solutions
Ph:     (866) 506-4025  ext #702
Cell:  (785) 336-1616
www.CompetitivEdgeBusiness.com