“Powering Off” or sometimes “Power About?”

Do you take your laptop on vacation? Do you occasionally “hate” your cell phone or your Blackberry? Harris Interactive recently reported that one-third of vacationers take their laptops on holiday. In the course of a Sunday meal at a restaurant recently, I observed a man sitting with his family speaking on his cell phone -- certainly about company. He was not pleased - neither was his loved ones!

To paraphrase Charles Dickens, “It could be the ideal of times. It can be the worst of instances.” Undoubtedly that applies in terms of “connectivity.” Stories of 9-11 victims being in a position to communicate with family members in the final minutes of their lives warmed my heart, whilst the story my friend told of her mother answering her cell phone inside the delivery room in the course of the birth of her grandchild chilled my soul.

How grateful I was for my cell phone when I came across a young lady stalled on an interstate with out a single, and I could immediately get assist. How convenient it is on vacation to utilize the internet to discover the alternatives for entertainment within the area on a rainy afternoon, and get directions to find it easily. How comforting to know that my household can reach me in situation of an emergency - or anything to celebrate! -- regardless of exactly where I'm inside the globe. The same is usually mentioned for my colleagues.

So here’s the question: Really should you take your laptop on vacation? Should your cell phone be on 24/7? Customers generally ask, “What really should I do?” My answer: “That’s the wrong query. The query is “What will you do?” Maybe an even superior query would be “What would you prefer to do?” Possibly the most beneficial query of all is “What action will bring you the top results?” So as to answer that question, you have got to take the time to answer “What ARE your very best outcomes?”

Repeatedly I've emphasized that one particular definition of “organization” is “controlling the things it is possible to manage, so you could cope using the items you can’t.” In the complicated planet in which we reside, specifically with all the degree of connectivity available, it is simple to fall in to the trap of feeling that we are victims of other individuals. I cringe when somebody complains about having to answer their mobile phone. Says who? If you do not would like to be reached, you are able to “power off.” In case you have to become reachable simply because your job demands it, then the question could be “Am I within the right job?” Or, have you merely trained folks which you are “always offered.” Customer service is excellent, but it doesn’t call for response. It calls for excellent communication. It is very frustrating to leave a message and get no response for days, but handful of situations would suffer if the response came one hour later so you can have lunch having a colleague with out interruption.

Connectivity can be addictive. My daughter, who has her PhD in counseling, reminded me that an addiction is a thing that reduces the high quality of your life and also the men and women about you.

So what does all this have to do with productivity? My passion is helping folks and organizations develop and sustain a productive atmosphere so everybody can accomplish their work and delight in their lives. When utilized appropriately, connectivity does help you achieve your perform and allow you to play. It can also undermine your priorities at function, destroy your well being, and poison your relationships when made use of inappropriately.

The problem will not be no matter whether you take your laptop on holiday or leave your cell phone on 24/7. For some individuals, the ability to check e-mail the moment every day on vacation brings peace of mind and can be accomplished when other individuals are sleeping or swimming. For other individuals, the entire idea of a vacation is not taking your laptop. There is no “right” or “wrong.” The question is no matter if your selection is enhancing or diminishing your life and the lives on the folks about you.

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

P.S. One thing TO Consider: Your ability to make any connection much more valuable is becoming able to discover the data you will need if you want it. Are you wasting useful time searching for what you will need? Could you find what other people today within your workplace have in the event you required it? If not, fill out our Productive Atmosphere Scorecard, and we’ll provide you with a no cost 30-minute phone consultation to identify distinct steps you may take to create certain that every person inside your organization is taking the best action at the appropriate time with the ideal data.


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