When technology works, it’s a wonderful thing. Therefore, when we work with technology, we are wonderful, right? That’s why we have the internet in the home and office – heck, even the printer is wirelessly connected to the information super highway now!
We’ve got at least one cellphone, if not one for work and one for personal use. In the morning we first greet Alexa or Google or Siri and ask them to turn on the music, or turn up the heat, or check the security feed, or add something to our To Do List. Our calendar is digital, our meetings are digital, our internal communication is digital, our external communication is digital. They weren’t kidding, there really is an app for that.
But sometimes we forget that tech is our personal assistant, not our boss. How can you tell which role tech plays in your workplace? By measuring efficiency, of course.
We’re not just talking about your efficiency at work, we’re talking about efficiency in your personal life. Does your usage of tech at work interfere with your personal life?
Do you even have a personal life? It’s a fair question, and one that most small business owners will have to think about because their knee-jerk answer is to snort and say, “It’s not work when you do what you love!” leaving it up to the listener to decide whether the tone is sarcastic.
Before you jump into measure your tech/work efficiency variables, first take a look at your personal life. There are apps and programs and devices that can help answer customer questions after business hours, keep project management and communication in one place, automatically collect data and analyze it, help you hire staff, answer the phone, and keep your books in order. Among other tasks. If you have trouble eking out a few hours a week to have dinner with your family, to enjoy girls or guys night out once in a while, or find yourself regularly working far above and beyond your business hours, you probably aren’t using technology enough to simplify your workday.
The flip side is to mind your screen time. If you spend all day checking for notifications from your various apps and still can’t get through your To Do List, you’ve got a problem, too. Make tech work for you! Schedule notifications to come in all at once at certain times of day and give yourself time to attend networking events, attend to priority client calls, and book a weekend off with the family. You’ll always have to be on call in case anything goes south, but it’s reasonable to expect to get through a 45-minute workout or a 10-minute medical appointment without checking your phone.
The goal is balance. Try out technology and apps and automation as much as you like, but if they hinder your personal life after a year of messing around with them, try something new. Likewise, if you’re not into technological assistance with your workday, but you’re still working long hours, try something new! Just make sure it works for you.
Jelly Triangle provides website development and digital marketing material for small businesses all over Waterloo Region and beyond. Contact us to book your free consultation and find out how we can help strengthen your marketing strategy by calling (519) 624-8888 or send us a message.
