“Powering Off” or maybe “Power Relating to?”

Do you take your laptop on holiday? Do you often “hate” your cell phone or your Blackberry? Harris Interactive recently reported that one-third of vacationers take their laptops on vacation. For the duration of a Sunday meal at a restaurant recently, I observed a man sitting with his family members speaking on his mobile phone -- obviously about organization. He was not pleased - neither was his family!

To paraphrase Charles Dickens, “It may be the finest of times. It really is the worst of instances.” Surely that applies when it comes to “connectivity.” Stories of 9-11 victims becoming in a position to communicate with loved ones members within the final minutes of their lives warmed my heart, while the story my buddy told of her mother answering her cellular phone inside the delivery space during the birth of her grandchild chilled my soul.

How grateful I was for my cellular phone when I came across a young lady stalled on an interstate with out a single, and I could instantly get assist. How handy it is actually on vacation to use the net to discover the possibilities for entertainment within the region on a rainy afternoon, and get directions to locate it readily. How comforting to understand that my family members can reach me in case of an emergency - or some thing to celebrate! -- no matter where I am within the world. Exactly the same can be stated for my colleagues.

So here’s the query: Should you take your laptop on vacation? Need to your cellular phone be on 24/7? Clientele frequently ask, “What really should I do?” My answer: “That’s the wrong query. The question is “What will you do?” Possibly an even greater query will be “What would you prefer to do?” Possibly the very best query of all is “What action will bring you the ideal results?” In an effort to answer that query, you have to take the time to answer “What ARE your finest outcomes?”

Repeatedly I have emphasized that one particular definition of “organization” is “controlling the points you can manage, so you are able to cope together with the things you cannot.” Inside the complicated globe in which we live, especially with the level of connectivity accessible, it’s simple to fall in to the trap of feeling that we're victims of other folks. I cringe when an individual complains about getting to answer their cellular phone. Says who? In case you do not want to be reached, you can “power off.” For those who have to be reachable because your job demands it, then the question may be “Am I within the ideal job?” Or, have you basically trained persons which you are “always out there.” Customer service is excellent, but it doesn’t demand response. It calls for good communication. It is very frustrating to leave a message and get no response for days, but handful of circumstances would suffer if the response came one hour later so you could have lunch with a colleague devoid of interruption.

Connectivity is usually addictive. My daughter, who has her PhD in counseling, reminded me that an addiction is one thing that reduces the high quality of the life as well as the people about you.

So what does all this must do with productivity? My passion is helping men and women and organizations develop and sustain a productive environment so everyone can achieve their work and get pleasure from their lives. When applied appropriately, connectivity does enable you to achieve your function and allow you to play. It can also undermine your priorities at perform, destroy your well being, and poison your relationships when applied inappropriately.

The concern isn't regardless of whether you take your laptop on holiday or leave your cellular phone on 24/7. For many people, the potential to check e-mail once every day on holiday brings peace of mind and can be carried out when other people are sleeping or swimming. For others, the complete notion of a vacation is not taking your laptop. There is certainly no “right” or “wrong.” The question is no matter whether your selection is enhancing or diminishing your life plus the lives on the people today around you.

So “Power Off” or “Power On?” - it’s actually up to you!

P.S. Something TO Consider: Your ability to make any connection far more useful is getting in a position to discover the info you need any time you have to have it. Are you currently wasting useful time in search of what you'll need? Could you find what other persons within your office have should you necessary it? If not, fill out our Productive Environment Scorecard, and we’ll offer you a absolutely free 30-minute telephone consultation to determine precise steps you'll be able to take to create sure that everyone in your organization is taking the ideal action at the ideal time using the proper info.


Visit us to know about the topic.