The internet, cell phones, “crack” berries, pagers, etc. have all lent to a boost in communicating with our peers, colleagues at work, other students, and often recreationally with friends, with a touch of a button. Overall, the advances in technology have made us more accessible to each other, which can be good and bad. Location is no longer a barrier when working on a school project or preparing a team PowerPoint presentation for work. The internet and other forms of communication allow individuals to share a vast amount of information more easily. However, being accessible and a “slave” to our communication devices have in some ways increased our workload and robbed our attention spans. For example, on the roadways, highways, and residential streets you will never drive too far without observing someone driving while talking on the phone. For commuters this is a great way to catch up on the days work ahead before reaching the office, while for others it Is the need to be social and “in touch” with others. The danger as you can imagine is inattention which leads to horrible driving accidents.
Likewise, we can all probably relate to checking our email and panicking when the email account crashes for some reason. Most of us rely on our email for work and currently, school. Without our email and available communication at our fingertips we almost feel naked, or at least helpless. At times I think this could be liberating because the electronic leash is finally removed, but in the end even I heavily rely on it to do a bulk of my communication.
Overall, technology and teams work well together. I have used this concept several times for class work on campus and in my own work environment. However, I don’t think it should ever replace the need to meet face-to-face occasionally either.
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4 comments:
I agree with you 100% on every point you have in regards to technology. It's going to be very interesting to see the new "no cell phones while driving" law starting next month. It's going to be amazing how much money the government is going to make by issuing out tickets for breaking that particular law.
I myself rely on technology way to much. For example, just this past weekend, every form of communication within my home was out of service due to technical problems. Going 48 hours with no internet/telephone was horrible because it was difficult for me to be in contact with the people I needed to be in contact with. For example, I was supposed to work from home and send some reports down to my boss, however that did not happen because I was unable to get ahold of him and because my internet/computer was unavailable.
There are times when I'll freak out when I'm unableto check my email or my checking account online and I'll feel lost and helpless because I have no idea how much money is in my account and what emails I need to respond to that day.
Also, there are times when I feel so liberated when I forget my cell phone at home. And I think of the times as a kid when I didn't have a cell phone and how much more fun life was back then--no worries whatsoever.
I agree that there is a place for technology in work teams, obviously. I would, however, like to raise the question about virtual meetings in place of face to face sessions. Companies such as Cisco have introduced products like Webex that are promoted as tools to promote a green environment. Slogans that scream, “KEEP IT GREEN, meet online instead of flying to save cost and the environment,” do not encourage face to face communication and even seek to make companies ‘feel’ guilty for all that the usual business trip may encompass.
I like your terminology, ‘crack’berries. They are a standard issue at my company. I do not feel like a slave to my work so much as a slave to my bosses who expect me to always be just a phone call, text, or email away. I tried the whole, I turn it off after 8pm for ‘family’ time but an emergency ALWAYS needs my attention in that time frame, go figure!
Athina Scores!
I agree with you as well. Just as you mentioned, "advance in technology have made us more accessible to each other." I like the idea that now-a-days it's so easy to keep in touch with people from across the globe by a simple e-mail, but I also like to see/meet people face to face. For example, this is my first time ever taking an on-line class. I like the fact that I could do the work from home, but I also like to meet with my instructors face to face. I feel that instructors get to know the "real" me when I actually get to talk to them face to face.
Not only have the advances in technology made us more accessible to one another, it has seriously impacted the way we work. I can relate -- coming into work yesterday morning, I was alerted that the internet was down. For 45 minutes, we didn't know what to do! We quickly realized we were unaccustomed to working without internet. Luckily, we were about to head to the nearest coffee shop for internet when the internet service returned
Also, my company also heavily promotes the use of virtual meetings. They are investing in very high quality systems that will connect our global offices in order to reduce travel. Travel costs are very high these days, so while virtual meetings may not have the same effectiveness as meeting face-to-face, I think we’ll see this alternative increasingly become the norm in the next few years.
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