Technology: A Two-Edged Sword

I've had this post ready to go for awhile...but alas, have been CrazyBusy! And speaking of CrazyBusy...

In his book, CrazyBusy, Ned Hallowell makes a pretty convincing case for his thesis that more and more people are exhibiting signs of ADHD or ADD, not because they are, but due to the frantic pace of our modern lifestyle.

He makes a lot of practical suggestions for ways to overcome a severe case of "CrazyBusy-ness," but the one that resonates with me relates to control of technology. Technology, for all that it has transformed the workplace, is truly a two-edged sword. On the one hand, because of our constant state of connectedness through cell phones, PDAs, email, and the internet, we can stay in touch at all times. On the other hand, we stay in touch at all times! Anyone can find us anywhere, anytime. Yikes.

According to Hallowell, we must "control [our] technology -- cell phone, email, and the like -- don't let it control [us]. Develop a system that works for you -- when you take calls, how you prioritize emails, and so on."

Below I've listed some technology "friends." These web sites prove extremely useful in today's modern workplace -- they actually provide ways to harness the power of technology, save time, increase productivity, etc.:

Meeting Wizard
This handy web-based program helps coordinate everyone's busy schedules. For those who don't have access to Outlook's Exchange Server with its nifty calendar sharing features, Meeting Wizard is a great alternative. Accounts and basic features are free.

Survey Monkey
Survey Monkey provides an evaluation tool that can be used a number of ways. Use for simple internet surveys, client evaluations, and opinion polls. Best of all, it tabulates and presents the results effortlessly. Basic features are free.

Personality Page
Managers should consider using this as an inexpensive alternative to behavioral and personality style assessments. Just be sure to understand enough to be able to communicate about people's differences and commonalities in a non-threatening way. Also can be valuable for self-assessment purposes.

Alexa
Interesting alternative to Google, where you can also view traffic information on web sites. Want to know what the current most popular U.S. or global web sites are? Check it out on Alexa.com. Stay "in the know" regarding modern technology.

Amazon
Surely, you're already taking advantage of this one-stop shopping mecca. Hard to beat the prices, range of products, and shipping speed. Provides no excuse not to stay educated on the latest trends, knowledge and products. Also check out Gifts.com and do some personalized shopping for clients, employees or friends and family.

Reference.com
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Encyclopedia all in one. Premium content $19.99 per year. Basic features free.

Constant Contact
An email program with a lot of flexibility. Use it to communicate with your clients, potential clients, employees, and other groups. Tremendous flexibility for a reasonable cost.

Member Clicks
Great for membership and other small organizations. Very comprehensive web-based solution. Provides services ranging from dues collection, web site, event registration, and email marketing. Fee-based.

Life Journal
A valuable tool for leaders, managers, and anyone interested in some ongoing self-assessment. Journaling is a wonderful way to clarify values, improve writing and thinking skills, and get some clarity on expectations and next steps.

Blue Mountain Greetings
You should never be too busy to acknowledge a colleague's special day -- be it birthday, anniversary, corporate milestone, whatever. This web-based greeting card site makes it easy by letting you select from a multitude of sentiments and decide how and when to send those greetings. It will even remind you of important upcoming occasions by calling you on your cell phone, if you like. Some features are free.

The wave of web-based applications can prove useful, if we take the time to evaluate their usefulness and actually take advantage of all they have to offer.