I’m a sucker when it comes to dogs.
The owner not only puts her dog Jesse to work,
She helps keep the talented canine in shape.
Have a fabulous Saturday!
Monthly Archive for May, 2011
Smart phones pack a lot of bang for the buck. From email and texting to apps for shopping, networking, traveling and working to the potential that mobile payments offer, a person can consolidate much of her life on a hand-held device, with just enough time left over for a round of Angry Birds. But is it starting to get to be too much? Can we ever walk away from work and the rush of information about our connections to relax?
The Q1 iPass Global Mobile Worker Report shows the extremes that tech dependency and a lack of boundaries push workers toward. Employees tapping into work from a mobile device on a non-corporate network are logging an average of 240 more hours per year than those who don’t. Of this group, ninety-one percent are checking their smart phones during down time, with sixty-four percent of those identified as Gen Y checking three or more time per hour!
And Gen Y is taking their technology to bed. Forty-five point three percent sleep within arm’s reach of their smartphones; another fourteen point six percent keep them steps away within the bedroom. Fewer are getting a full night’s sleep with nearly half checking their phones in the middle of the night from time to time. And nearly half are checking their phones in the middle of the night at least sometimes, with forty-four percent checking email before rolling out of bed.
Members of Gen Y are increasingly suffering from FOMO — the fear of missing out — thanks to increasingly ubiquitous technology in our lives. And it’s not just our work lives that trail us around the clock.
JWTIntelligence recently reported on the social aspect of this trend. Their researchers officially define FOMO as “the uneasy and sometimes all encompassing feeling…that your peers are doing, in the know about or in possession of more or something better than you”.
The steady stream of status updates running through social media sites in a drumbeat of events and happenings in your backyard and in distant locales. It’s no wonder that eighty percent of 18-33 year olds see people as using these communication channels for bragging rights. Over-scheduled teens have become the same over scheduled adults planning for every minute, in an effort to keep up.
As increasingly powerful technology crunches all aspects of our lives into smaller and smaller devices, it will become even more difficult to avoid the temptation to check-in on the weekends or your lunch hour or an evening out with friends.
What realistic boundaries can be set so that we can all tune out and just revel in the moments we should have to ourselves?
Long overdue for a phone upgrade, I used Wirefly to save an extra $20 on the new Droid X2 when I extended my contract with Verizon.
After placing my order on Saturday afternoon, I was extremely impressed that my order was not only processed but shipped the same day.
The only down side to ordering through Wirefly is that Fedex is their shipping provider. In the 2 years I’ve been in my current apartment, I can’t recall receiving a Fedex package without drama. UPS and USPS have no problems finding me, but Fedex always insists I don’t have a valid address.
And without fail, Fedex failed on Tuesday. Online tracking indicated my address was incorrect. I called Fedex — which confirmed my address — and I explained where my apartment is and had a chuckle with customer service about my invisibility to their drivers. Rep assured me that he would forward extra delivery information along to dispatch.
And my phone is still being held hostage by the Fedex facility on Wednesday night. I call Fedex again — customer service is now telling me that there is NO address in the system for this package. The package was shipped from Wirefly with no street address — sorry, an incomplete street address of “South Apt 100″. My street address does not include the word south, nor do I live in Apt 100.
I provide my correct address to customer service who assures delivery on Thursday, but it is not to be. The person processing the address change calls me back to let me know she cannot approve shipment to the correct address, regardless of the fact that it was in the system on Tuesday when I called, until Wirefly.com calls to approve the address change. Doesn’t matter that I’m the paying customer, they are contractually obligated to get the permission from the sender before making that change.
All Wirefly needs to do is call the 800-number, provide the tracking number and OK my address.
That’s all they need to do. That’s all. That. Is. All.
It is actually difficult to get to a human being at Wirefly. I forgot about GetHuman until I was 40 minutes into my call with Wirefly. Their automated system is chock full of directions and helpful information that was neither relevant or helpful. After trying a few different numbers listed on their site, I found my way to the customer service queue.
I explained the situation to Rav.
Unfortunately it is not Wirefly’s approved process to call Fedex to straighten out shipping snafus. Instead, they recall the original package and ship a new one. And they’d expedite shipping for free so that I’d get my package the next business day, but because it was so late in the day that really meant 2 days later.
It seems like a lot of paperwork when a 3 minute phone call to Fedex would get me my phone on Thursday. Rav agrees but it’s not the approved process. Rav speaks to his manager, but no go. It’s not the approved process. I spend much time on hold and in verbal round robins that go no where.
Fine, ship me a new phone ASAP. Rav now has to explain the situation to Marcus, the guy who approves orders. Marcus has concerns that the same problem could recur if he approves the shipping of a second phone, so he can’t approve the order. He has to get permission from his corporate overlord before he can do so. And it could take 24 hours to get that approval. Rav informs me that the worst case scenario is 24-hours, but the escalation is being flagged as the highest priority for UPPER MANAGEMENT.
There are now at least 4 people involved at Wirefly. I have been on the phone for an hour. Think about how much paperwork this problem is generating. All because there’s a specific process that must be abided by in lieu of a 3-minute phone call. Yes, a 3-MINUTE phone call.
(The one bright spot in this hour is that Rav realizes the situation is absurd and notes that he will raise this situation with the appropriate channels in an effort to generate process improvement. Front guy line realizes there is a need to improve the process by which these situations are handled. It doesn’t make up for the fact that I don’t have my phone or that I spent an hour on the line when a 3-minute call would resolve things, but it gives me hope that someone at the company has a clue.)
As of this morning, it appears that upper management agreed with me and thought the 3-minute phone call was the most prudent option because the tracking number shows that my phone is out for delivery. Again. But now my hope of new smartphone ownership hinges on FEDEX finding my apartment.
Best part, I received a customer satisfaction survey email from Wirefly starting off with, “We hope you are enjoying your recent wireless purchase.” The form email goes on to note its awesome benefits to online customers including “100% customer satisfaction” and “Fast, reliable FEDEX SHIPPING”. No. Just No.
To say I’ve been underwhelmed by Wirefly is an understatement. And all to save an extra $20 off Verizon’s pricing online. Some discounts aren’t worth the hassle.
The media loves to stir up controversy. Sensationalism and outrageous ideas help with the ratings and ad revenues, but that doesn’t do much to educate the public.
Jay Smooth asks whether it’s too much to ask of the media to not feed the trolls?
On a recent G5 Leadership webinar, Connie Dieken, author of Talk Less, Say More, shared her tips on how to “fight presentation bloat” and take your audience from their various starting points to the conclusion you want and need it to reach. Whether you’re seeking a commitment of time, money or social capital, you need to put your focus on generating the desired impact through the following 3 steps: connect, convey and convince.
Connect
You’ll lose an audience quickly if you can’t demonstrate why listeners should care. Start strong and “frontload your message” so that “what’s relevant to the audience comes first”. Don’t work through the details to get to your point; drive it home first and then dig in.
Speak to them in their language and cover their concerns.
Convey
The presentation shouldn’t include everything and the kitchen sink; use “portion control” Only include the must-know information; you can follow up and distribute other information as the need presents itself.
Interestingly, Dieken pointed out that the brain processes visual stimuli ten times quicker than text, so a great graphic can be more effective than a slide full of text. I’m particularly fond of the cartoons developed to support Annie Leonard’s Story of Stuff. The stick figures and other doodles illustrate a lot of information in a very engaging way.
Convince
Body language is more than half the battle. You need to look and sound as if you know what you’re talking about and believe in the efficacy of whatever action you’re pushing. Because if you don’t believe what you’re selling, why should anyone else?
There’s always a doubting Thomas in the room, so your best bet is to take preventative action beforehand and turn potential naysayers into allies. Schedule time with such parties to get their feedback and work the resolutions into your presentation; a colleague that might otherwise torpedo your efforts becomes an ally with a stake in making the project succeed.
What steps do you take to ensure you take your audience from A to B?
For information on upcoming G5 webinars, check out their event calendar. They offer several 90-minute, online classes each month taught by best-selling business authors who’ve set their sights on enhancing your soft skills. For $129 per year, you can have access to their complete roster of trainings plus workbooks, slide decks and recordings for review at a later date.
Andrew Sullivan on blogging:
This thing was not an act of writing as such. It was essentially throwing yourself into this mosh pit of universal dyspepsia and amusement. And then, subsequently, extraordinary value because you found that the people out there, the people you write for, are not just passive consumers.
People continue to hit send on these missives with long e-mail header trains, as if, somehow, the tales within must be true for it to have mushroom clouded across the the internet.
Researchers from Ohio State University contacted 600 people after the 2008 election to discuss their exposure to rumors about the candidates on the websites, blogs and by email. The publishing findings indicate that fibbing on the internet itself is to some degree checked because the facts are out there with a quick google search. Email was more pernicious:
The more political e-mails that participants received from friends and family during the 2008 election, the more rumors they were likely to believe. And the more rumors they believed, the more political e-mails they sent.
In addition, receiving e-mails only promoted belief in rumors about the candidate whom the person opposed, the study found. And people were more likely to share e-mails as belief in rumors about the opposed candidate increased.
The filter effect at work, again. You’re more likely to believe, seek out and forward media content that parrots your own opinions; facts be damned.
Former Moveon.org Executive Director Eli Pariser gave a TEDTalk this year, ahead of the publication of his book The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding From You. He briefly discusses the impact of social networks on the media we consume and what the tech sector can do about it. It’s a short video worth a watch.
Work-Life Balance is a myth.
At a conference I attended a few years ago, Gloria Steinem explained an unfortunate effect of feminism. In convincing women that they could have a meaningful career and family, the message got absorbed as though women needed to have it all. . . at once.
Laporte recommended an alternative: work-life proportion. Different parts of your life take priority at any given time. Your focus could shift over a few months or a few years. And each of us is operating on a different schedule.
She also recommends a “Stop Doing List” — where can you let go and say no to have more time for your priorities? Especially “at the beginning of something ambitious, forgive yourself for letting some things go. It’s not about expanding; it’s about focusing.”
Who are your professional heroes and role models? Forleo reminded everyone that “people who achieved greatness didn’t set out in life to achieve balanced lives; they set out to achieve greatness, not how am I going to please everyone.”
With people pleasing in mind:
Focus on your tribe.
Don’t water down the value you bring to the table by trying to be all things to all people. Be yourself, and be passionate in representing your interests.
Laporte encouraged listeners to piss people off. “If you’re not polarizing yourself, you’re not showing up fully.” At our best, we aren’t generically appealing to the lowest common denominator. When you start trying to broaden your base to cover everyone you “polish off [you] edges literally and figuratively.” And that’s how we end up numbered cogs, not vibrant individuals.
What are your network aspirations?
Are there leaders in your field that seem out of reach to you? Make it your mission to earn your way into their world. Forleo suggested listeners “become their best customer. . . learn what they know” and put it to work. Buy their books. Subscribe to their blogs. Attend their speaking engagements. Be a great customer by sending them feedback and telling them how their tried and true advice and experience impacted your life and business. It starts paving the way to a relationship and the ask that will get you there.
In theory, I could write a series of blog posts off the one hour call, but I think every one walks away with the information they need and are ready to hear. Download the full teleconference, chock full of permission and suggestions, for plenty of other gems that resonate strongly with you.
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