I got this question from a reader of my book . (Actually, I’m not sure if she read the whole book, but at least she read this part on page 85):
Rebecca, in your book you write that “Companies handout laptops and Blackberries like drug dealers pedal crack.” You make technology sound like a bad thing.
Here’s my response:
Technology is not a bad thing, but inappropriate use of technology is. Technology is the great interruptor/distractor at work. Did you know it takes us between 4 and 15 minutes to get back on track after we’ve been interrupted at work? (It does, and you can read more about this here.) I believe Blackberries, laptops and other tech should come with a warning label, and all managers and supervisors should work with their teams to decide the ground rules on accessibility vs. availability. Here’s how I see it:
- Accessibility is what happens when we all have each other’s intergalactic coordinates (email addresses, AIM handles, cell phone numbers, etc.) and the technology to use them. I can call you anytime, anywhere; you are always accessible to me.
- Availability means that I will actually respond to your call, text, IM or email. I am not always available to you.
Too many of us confuse accessibility with availability. If our gadget vibrates, we think we have to answer it. (You don’t. Go on and enjoy dinner with your loved one.)
Read more in Ben Stein’s New York Times article, “Connected, Yes, But Hermetically Sealed.”
