Some of my coaching clients have been using PDAs, BlackBerrys and iPhones for a long time, and if you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that I became the proud owner of a brand new BlackBerry Storm last Monday, when it was launched in the UK.
After years of resisting mobile technology, it’s proving to be quite a culture shock, as you might imagine! In fact, I liken my ‘upgrade’ as going from learning to drive in a pedal car and then getting into a Ferrari straight after passing the test!
I can now check & answer emails, browse the internet, keep a contact database and organise my time – all on one little handheld gadget. Oh, and it’s a phone as well! (I know there are even more applications, but these are enough for me to be getting on with just now!)
As I was working out how to use this new smart phone, it occurred to me that we expect our technology tools to do quite a lot for us. We want them to store & organise records as well as remind us about meetings and deadlines. Could we be in danger of relying on them too much?
Obviously I’m hoping that my BlackBerry, together with the new Laptop being delivered next week, are going to increase my efficiency & productivity. But I’m not expecting them to replace the creativity and thinking processes that every business owner needs to tap into. For example, I can’t imagine the initial stages of planning a new project without good old fashioned ‘messy’ pen & paper!
This is a topic I’ll revisit as I get used to using my upgraded technology, either on this blog or on Savvy Marketers. Please feel free to comment on your experiences with technology – have they helped your business or slowed you down?
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