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Surviving Internet Speed.
Author/s: Samuel Greengard
In an increasingly accelerated workplace, you must take control of
technology.
It's 11:00 on a Monday morning and Sarah Hawley is swamped. The San
Francisco-based account supervisor for Connect Public Relations scrolls
down a seemingly never-ending list of email messages. Her inbox is
stuffed with more than 100 missives. She is clearly paying the price for
not checking in over the weekend. As she quickly scans the subject
lines, she glances at her blinking voice-mail light. She has a
conference call to attend and a project deadline that looms only a few
hours away.
"Today, things are moving so quickly," she says. "It's
getting harder and harder to keep up with everything. Every time you
turn around, there's new technology to learn and new pressures to cope
with. The same devices and programs that are supposed to make things
easier are making things more difficult and complex."
Welcome to Internet speed. If one thing increasingly defines the
workplace and workers' lives, it's that fast is no longer fast enough.
The crush of new technology descending on the workplace--designed to
ratchet up productivity and improve interaction--is leaving many feeling
alienated, disoriented, and burned out. "People are bombarded with
data and deadlines," says J. Lee Whittington, human resources
management program director at the University of Dallas Graduate School
of Management. "And many individuals aren't sure how to cope."
Neither are organizations. As competition escalates and pressure
builds, many firms believe they must respond with increasing speed to
stay afloat. "Customers, employees, and managers are continuing to
develop expectations for doing business with organizations through the
Internet. Unfortunately, the technology often moves faster than the
ability of people and corporate cultures to adapt," says David A.
Link, vice president of the eWorkplace practice at Cedar, a
Baltimore-based consulting firm formerly known as The Hunter Group.
While it is tempting to blame the malaise on technology, the issue is
as much about work habits, time management, corporate culture, and human
resources practices. "Unless people take control of the technology
and learn to manage it, they're likely to find themselves managed by
it," says Jcques Leger, managing consultant for Watson Wyatt
Worldwide, San Francisco. "At many companies, there are simply too
few rules. HR and senior managemet must take a leadership
position."
Plugged in All the Time
The dgitial workplace wasn't supposed to be like this, In the 1980s
pundits envisioned a society replete with labor-saving technology and an
increasingly short workweek. Yet the road to leisure has encountered
more than a few potholes. In Jeremy Rifkin's bestseller, The End of Work
(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1995), readers glimpse a future where there isn't
enough work to go around and large numbers of people are unemployed or
underemployed--all as a result of technology. It's not unconmion for
many professionals to find themselves constantly tethered to work. They
make calls on their cell phones as they commute. They incessantly check
their pagers and voice mail at business meetings, in their kitchens, at
the grocery store. They take work home and plug into the Intranet in the
evening.
"Even when I am on vacation with my family, it's easier for me
to take an hour out of my day to check my e-mail and respond to it than
to come back to 1,000-plus e-mail messages," says David P. Trainor,
associate vice president f human resources at Eastern Connecticut State
University. "There's no question that there's more information,
better information, and better-organized information than 10 years ago.
But technology and communications have created an instant-answer
expectation. There is a growing resentment about its impact and effect
on people."
One of the biggest technological trouble zones is the question of how
e-mail and other electronic communication is used. "E-mail is the
mouse that becomes a tiger. It looks innocuous, but it can devour
people," Leger says. Today, it's not unusual for professionals like
Sarah Hawley to receive anywhere from 50 to 150 e-mail messages a day.
Separating the important news and information from the static is a
growing issue. At many companies, workers are bombarded with e-mail
messages from executives and other employees. The content of the
messages ranges from crucial news and information to chitchat and jokes.
Ironically, the time that one person saves by clicking "Send to
All" rather than sorting through the recipient list steals valuable
seconds and minutes away from the receiver.
E-mail etiquette has become another daunting problem, Leger says.
People frequently send electronic messages to the adjoining cubicle, or
mark them all urgent and grow impatient if there isn't a speedy reply.
Others hide behind e-mail and voice mail, returning calls and messages
days late or at odd hours, or use e-mail as a way to document everything
to cover themselves. Still others wind up inflaming fellow workers by
displaying aggression and hostility that would never be tolerated in the
physical world. As a result, he says, "People who try to take
control of their situation and manage the technology sometimes wind up
becoming victims of those who do not."
Instant-messaging, two-way pagers and always-on mobile phones aren't
making things easier. Even though the devices can provide powerful
solutions--and allow near-instant access to valuable data, information,
and knowledge--many companies have created an expectation that employees
should be available at all hours of the day or night. What's more,
project deadlines seem only to accelerate while completion cycles are
increasingly compressed. "There are cultures where the boss sends
an e-mail message at 11:00 on Saturday night, and you're graded by how
quickly you respond," Whittington says. "If you answer by 7:00
on Sunday morning, you receive high marks."
Even companies that have tried to implement "guilt-free
vacations" have found themselves running into buzz saws. Though
some managers encourage employees to tune out and disconnect, the
realities of today's workplace make it a virtual impossibility. It's
unrealistic to ignore a crucial project or a spate of e-mail messages
asking for additional information. "A culture that is driven cannot
simply disconnect--no matter what senior management says,"
Whittington notes.
With the Age of Information has come the related issue of how to
introduce new technology and train employees to use it effectively. It's
no longer enough for workers to know how to use a word-processing
program and a Web browser. At many firms, employees are expected to use
an array of digital tools--including a core ERP or HRMS, data mining and
business intelligence, PowerPoint, Excel, and a PDA. With frequent
upgrades and changing needs, the office sometimes can seem as puzzling
as a three-dimensional chess game.
Exorcising the Speed Demons
Some companies are attempting to gain control of technology. At
Connect PR, Kitty Cole, director of training and development, makes it a
point to address the daily pressures of the digital age. The company,
which has 42 employees at offices in San Francisco, Seattle, and Provo,
Utah, offers five days of training to new hires, as well as regular
computer, technology, time-management, and work-life programs to help
people better manage their lives. The agency relies on a
business-development coach to provide one-on-one counseling. The company
soon will offer monthly technology briefings by phone, so that employees
can stay current on client needs.
"We are trying very hard to mold a workforce that's happy,
productive, and focused," Cole says. "The cultural issues are
key to succeeding in an environment that's so fast-paced and
demanding." Adds company president Neil Myers: "It's not about
working fast, it's about working fast enough, and working smart."
He notes that it's also important to set boundaries, so that employees
don't wind up sitting in marketing meetings at 1 a.m. on a Saturday.
"There are limits, and it's up to management to set them."
At Eastern Connecticut State University, David Trainor tries to focus
on the positives of electronic communication. "There are some
natural feelings of resentment about technology, but they're not
insurmountable. It is important to celebrate the successes and victories
that take place," he says.
No amount of training can eliminate all the pressures that come with
Internet speed. Human resources can, however, define rules and
guidelines for communication and interaction, Leger says. People must
have realistic expectations. They have to learn that it is completely
okay not to respond to an e-mail message within five minutes, and that
it is occasionally all right to turn the e-mail off when they're busy on
an important project. Organizations also have to establish methods and
processes that help employees conduct their personal lives and go on
vacation without constantly being on call.
Yet for many professionals, including Sarah Hawley, what seemed
electronically extreme only a few years ago has become standard
practice. Her cell phone is always on, she's never far from her e-mail,
and when she goes on vacation, she says, she knows there will be days
when she'll check voice mail and e-mail. The key is managing her time,
she says. That can mean leaving a message referring callers to a
colleague, putting an auto responder on her e-mail, or closing her
e-mail program when she's on a tight deadline.
"The reality is, technology is neither good nor bad," she
says. "A cell phone, pager, or computer program can stress you out
or make your life and work easier. It's up to each company and
individual to use the technology effectively. No matter how hard you
try, it's difficult to completely escape."
Samuel Greengard is a business and technology writer based in Los
Angeles.
Making Technology Work
From a business perspective, keeping up with Internet speed is
daunting. Employees certainly have their fair share of issues, but so do
companies trying to stay current with technology and remain competitive.
Paul Sparks, associate professor of education technology at
Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, says that organizations and
HR professionals need to keep an eye on the big picture. While it's a
good idea to adopt leading-edge tools, it's not wise to venture off the
edge. "There's often an advantage to waiting a bit, and
understanding which technology is beneficial and which creates a
treadmill effect for employees."
He believes that one of the most valuable tools today is
collaboration software--electronic zones where employees can share
applications, files, and thoughts. Programs from companies like WebEx,
Lotus, Astound, and Microsoft create virtual work spaces that allow
real-time collaboration.
Sparks says that managers need to engage in team building. "Much
of the learning and knowledge exchange that goes on at a company takes
place unofficially--in hallways," not classrooms.
Watson Wyatt's Leger notes that every organization "has people
who are tech savvy and get excited about new projects." At most
companies, adoption and acceptance of technology require a fundamental
change in the mindset of a workforce. A company can increase the odds of
success by providing news about a project, and convincing key managers
to sell employees on the advantages. "If you create powerful
alliances you can drive rapid adoption and acceptance."
In the end, there's no one way to succeed. However, companies that
devise a well-planned strategy for integrating and adopting technology
are far more likely to boost productivity and success.
Five Steps for Surviving Internet Speed
2. Never underestimate the ability of workers to embrace technology.
Too often, companies assume that workers lag in the field of technology,
when they're often out in front, says Jacques Leger, managing consultant
at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, San Francisco. "As employees become more
technologically adept at home, they're transferring the knowledge to
work." By making the technology leaders at a company your allies,
it's possible to spread enthusiasm and acceptance.
1. Adopt technology that streamlines or simplifies. In many cases,
it's better to consolidate several processes or systems into one rather
than embark on the latest and greatest technology offering. Not only can
that help a company manage hardware and systems more effectively, but it
also makes it easier for workers to adapt and flourish. Yet certain
types of projects, such as portals and collaboration tools, can provide
the biggest gains
3. Create policies and etiquette for using e-mail, voice mail, and
other collaborative systems. Employees should know, for example, when to
mark a message urgent, an acceptable time frame for replying or calling
back, and what's not allowed in e-mail, including sensitive HR data,
jokes and chain letters, and banal comments.
4. Offer employees time-management training and provide work-life
programs. Unfortunately, at many companies there's plenty of lip service
about helping employees cope, but little action. Many employees who feel
overwhelmed lack the time-management and organizational skills required
to function in the high-tech world. They allow themselves to be
continually interrupted and suffer from decreased productivity.
Most employees also benefit from job-sharing, telecommuting,
flextime, and sabbatical programs. It's crucial to prevent work from
becoming invasive, and to allow employees time to recharge. "A
company has to create boundaries, or burnout ensues," says J. Lee
Whittington, human resources management program director at the
University of Dallas Graduate School of Management.
5. Create a management structure that can support a high-speed
environment. If employees feel hindered by a bureaucratic and unwieldy
management structure, they're likely to grow disillusioned, and many of
the best workers experience burnout or seek work elsewhere. It's
particularly vital for fast-moving departments, divisions, and dot-coin
branches of a company to present proposals to management for quicker and
more responsive decision-making. As Leger points out, "If you wait
for senior executives, it might never happen."
Speed Reading
Here's a list of additional reading material on the subject that's
available through the Web:
"Career demands changing at Internet speed"
by Jim Carroll, April 2000.
http://www.jimcarroll.com/articles/l0apr00.htm
"Digital Darwinism: Survival of the Fittest"
by Heather McLatchie, October 1999.
http://www.clipwebzine.com/article.cfm?storyid=184
"Burnout: Is It a Burning Issue in Your Company?"
by Mary Rau-Foster, May 2000.
http://www.workplaceissues.com/arburnout.htm
"Working at Internet Speed"
by Patrick Mott, January/February 2001.
http://www.oracle.com/oramag/oracle/01-jan/o11speed.html
COPYRIGHT 2001 ACC Communications Inc.
in association with The Gale Group and LookSmart. COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale
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