January 2012
Friends,
The
Information Overload Research Group is preparing for a
wonderful get-together, to be held in San Francisco on Feb. 25.
This will be a small gathering of like-minded IO practitioners
from Academia, Industry, and the consulting community, where we
will review the current state of the battle to mitigate Info
Overload, and discuss new and coming developments.
If you are
interested in our cause, you are welcome to join us there – you
can register at
http://overloaded2012.eventbrite.com/.
Cheers,
This issue’s theme: Smartphone adoption
I’ve just upgraded my smartphone from a Nokia E71 to a Samsung
Galaxy S2, the difference being in the move from a tiny screen
and tiny keyboard (Blackberry style) to a large touch screen (iPhone
style).
The difference in overall user
experience is remarkable, and this leads to this issue’s theme.
It is not just a quantitative difference (larger screen) but a
qualitative one as well, and that leads to a completely
different usage pattern. Multiply this across a company, and you
have an impact worth thinking about...
Analysis and Opinion
I was visiting a client company and asked
whether they were happy with their recent move to Galaxy
smartphones, and was gives two answers: one manager said it was
a superb device; another said it was horrible... because, he
smiled, now in meetings everyone plays with these wonder gadgets
instead of listening... and I’m sure both were right!
The high-end smartphones of today are powerhouses of potential
productivity. The instant access they give to information and
tools is unprecedented, and can be used to accelerate work and
collaboration. On the other hand, they make a double
contribution to the endless distractions that reduce
productivity and concentration: once by contributing incoming
interruptions like any cellphone, and then again as gadgets that
allow one to play with them and to use them to game and surf and
interact well outside the boundaries of the job.
Should we ban them, then? Not at all, in my opinion. Although
some older people resist getting one, these devices are here to
stay, and the younger Gen Y employees can’t imagine being
without one. What we should do is maximize the benefit while
defending against the distractions. That would require training
people in optimal use models and setting boundaries that prevent
overwhelm through abuse and overuse. It is unfortunate that most
companies will do neither, leaving the decisions to each
individual employee – a highly inadequate strategy, given that
communications flow across the entire workforce.
What YOU can do about it
Actionable Tip
As an individual, if you are the least bit tech-savvy, I
strongly recommend getting a modern touch-controlled device –
and then learning how to use it (and the many “apps” you can
download into it). The days when people would read an
instruction manual are long gone, but at least get some training
or reading in the basics. There are productivity features in
these mobile operating systems that can save lots of time if you
only bother to get to know them!
As a
manager, consider giving your subordinates the required training
in a structured manner when you deploy a new generation of
devices. It will repay the time invested very rapidly.
Food for Thought
Many an organization makes smartphones available to its people
without bothering to address the inevitable time sinks they
carry with them. They assume people can figure it out. This is
the kind of thinking that gave us email overload back in the
nineties, when we deployed email platforms without a thought for
the implications. I strongly recommend making a concerted study
of the cultural and behavioral impact of any new technology
before deploying it, and new generations of handhelds are
definitely in need of this.
At a minimum,
one should establish a sensible policy of where and when
handhelds should be used. Turning them to Silent (if not Off)
during meetings is a minimal and useful first step... and there
is much more you can decide to do, always keeping in mind the
“Organizational DNA” in your particular company. Also be mindful
of the impact on Work/Life balance -
Volkswagen's recent move being a good example.
|
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All alone in the info-flood
Form follows Function
We have a generation gap to bridge!
Subscribe
to blog feed Snapshots of Ingenuity
The popular notion of book production before Gutenberg calls
to mind a lone monk laboriously copying a book by hand. The
truth is that the ancients did a much better job of mass
production, using their version of machinery – slave power.
In ancient Rome, there were dedicated workshops where a
dozen copies of a book could be produced at once. A man
would read the text aloud, and around him trained slaves
would all write the words onto blank scrolls. Simple and
efficient, all things considered... |
