I just finished reading Martin Lukes’s “Who Moved My Blackberry” with Lucy Kellaway, which is a tremendously fun dig into the world of business and electronic communication.
It shows the consequences of sending sensitive emails to the wrong people, what can happen when you align yourself with the wrong side even when you suspect that everything is not as it should be, and the dangers of letting your Blackberry fall into mischievous hands. Totally different from the book “Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr. Spencer Johnson (www.amazon.co.uk – oe3.99), which could fall into more hands!
I know there is a lot of negativity in email communication, but I love it. I don’t have a Blackberry, but I do have wireless internet, so I can do all my emails in bed if I feel like it. Yes, okay, sometimes I do! The way I see it, it’s about how you use it. It’s great for organizing meetings, keeping in touch with people when you haven’t always had time to make a phone call, or even arranging for a verbal chat.
I think negative publicity kicks in when it is used as a distraction. It can help procrastination and prevent you from making decisions. It can help you put off jobs that you should be dealing with. It can become an obsession when you can’t stop checking your email for new messages, or it can leave you feeling driven because you feel like you can’t disconnect from it.
Like many people, I use email to help my business, but have become a bit obsessed with it on occasion rather than solving the real problem. When you realize how much time can be lost without accomplishing anything, it is a huge shock and it is time to take stock.
Just checking email at certain times, having a “must do” list, and adopting a more relaxed attitude are all good strategies for keeping it under control. After all, if someone wants to contact you in a hurry, they will use the phone.
Oh, and maybe not bringing your laptop and / or Blackberry to bed is a good strategy too!
Damn! I keep saying that maybe