Disconnect to Connect

Disconnect to Effectively Connect

In middle school, our twins began lobbying for cell phones. In 2013, we still had no real sense of the future impact of cell phones, more specifically, smart phones. Our family joke – the kids did not appreciate it – was that we would get them a phone to share and that we would purchase a Jitterbug. It was as basic as basic could get. It was a phone. No texting. No internet. No social media. Just a phone.

A recent New York Times article tracked a reporter’s experiment of trading in her iPhone for a flip phone. She noticed that she was spending five hours a day on her device, just one hour more than the US average. When I checked my own phone, the tracker was happily disabled so I am ignorant of my own time expenditure. She reported that, in addition to sleeping better, she had time to read books, to engage in conversation, to go for long runs with her husband sans Air Pods.

I am not advocating we all try the cold turkey approach nor am I climbing on the soap box to preach for becoming Luddites. I am, admittedly, a late adopter of technology and enjoy the simple over the complex. Let’s think about how our constant connectedness is not having the intended impact.

More Connected and More Distant?

As vital as we have made our devices, they do not replace the value of real human connection. Does a quick text let someone know we are thinking of them? Sure. It does not replace the value of true conversation and connection. As a manager, how impactful would it be to sit with a team member and talk about a project or career concern or the direction of the company?

Reachable but Less Productive?

Moore’s Law posited a doubling of computing capacity every 2 years (a gross simplification). When I started my career, we had no cell phones or laptops. When we left work, we left work behind. We no longer have that luxury. Technology has become a virtual tether and the opportunity to foster our private lives easily vanishes into the ether if we let it. The importance of doing nothing, of giving our brains a break, of letting our minds wander is hard to calculate. But we all know it’s monumental.

The Navy Seals have a motto: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. That paradox, needing to slow down to move fast – toward a goal – highlights this idea that taking a step back, connecting personally, removing the digital barrier, and giving time for unstructured thought will indeed propel us forward – together.

I don’t make resolutions for the new year. I am, however, thinking of creating a new habit. I’m going to start charging my phone on my desk instead of my bedside table. Maybe I too will sleep a little more soundly with energy to take on the challenges of the coming day.

 

Michael Riegel

MRiegel@AECBusinessStrategies.com

516-238-0859