The Digital Work World
Ours is a technology-driven society. Professionals ranging from doctors to hairdressers use computers to schedule appointments, order supplies, and communicate with employees and customers. In less than a generation, America leaped from room-size to desktop computers, party lines to cell phones, Day Planners to Palm Pilots. The transformation has revolutionized not only the way we work but also the way we live. As a manager, you need to know how to use technology to improve your staff's productivity and efficiency — and to know when technology is not the answer.
Computers have replaced typewriters and calculators, graph paper and ledgers, address books and calendars. Cellular telephones and wireless modems make it possible to work from literally any location. Facsimile machines, e-mail, and the Internet have greatly reduced the need for surface mail and courier deliveries. Software programs make it easy for people with modest skills to perform sophisticated tasks, from word processing applications that allow you to integrate text and images into formatted documents to financial applications that let you track and report any accounting functions.
The Commodore 64 and the Apple computers debuted in 1977, forever changing the technology landscape of the world. IBM entered the market in 1981 with the personal computer, or PC, which catapulted to the lead in market share in only four years and quickly became the generic term for any kind of small computer. Today, few work environments are without PCs.
Managers have to make numerous decisions about technology. They need to know the technology related to their fields as well as general technology in use in the workplace. Even in companies that have information technology (IT) departments, it's department managers who will need to know what software is most appropriate for their needs. Employees love to be on the leading edge, and they generally recognize the value of technology in keeping their own careers up to date (and their daily tasks easier).
When you, the manager, are a well-informed advocate for the technology that simplifies the work lives of your employees, you encourage loyalty among those employees. They feel that you have their best interests at heart and are willing to take action. The increased productivity that results from the right technology makes the company feel more loyal toward you.
Making Technology Decisions
Which financial software should the company purchase for the accounting department? The manager of accounting will get that question first. Is he or she keeping up with technology? What direct marketing database software should the marketing department use? The marketing manager needs to know and also must be able to justify the department's need to computerize these kinds of functions. What image should the company's Web site strive to present? Should it be humorous, sophisticated, or eye-catching, using the latest whiz-bang animated graphics and streaming video? Should the company produce materials in formats that can work on the Web as well as in print? If you're a manufacturing manager, you'd better know about CAD/CAM and ERP and just-in-time and all of the other buzzwords, and be able to talk about what software products might be best used within that environment.
Nearly from the onset of their use in the workplace, computers took the rap for carpal tunnel syndrome, a repetitive motion injury of the wrist. According to the conventional wisdom at the time, continuous key-boarding put the wrist in a strained position. However, a large research study in the early 2000s failed to prove the connection.
And then there is worker productivity. Do you need to think about a networked system? Does it need to serve your department alone or to link all departments? Do the sales representatives need handheld organizers, or can they get by with laptops? What productivity software should you consider for the sales reps? Do they need to have promotional literature with them, or should they be able to do PowerPoint presentations from their laptops?
Read professional journals within your field and join professional associations and organizations to keep yourself abreast of relevant technology. This will serve you well in your current job, and could be the key to other jobs.
Technology is relentless, whether you dread it or embrace it. Professions and the world of work constantly change, and much of this change is driven by technology. Those who don't keep up get left behind — companies as well as people. There are plenty of ways you can update your knowledge level, easily and fairly effortlessly, like these:
Make a friend in your company's IT department and learn what criteria the “experts” use to assess new equipment and software.
Ask questions when sales representatives come calling. Find out why a change is really an improvement — or if it's not. Sometimes what's touted as an upgrade is nothing more than the current version in new clothes, with a lot of flash that turns out to be nothing but fizzle when it comes to functionality.
Ask experienced users what they like and don't like about the computer equipment and programs they use. Get a variety of opinions to see what patterns emerge. Although anecdotal, this kind of information helps you weigh marketing hype against real-world experience.
Staying Current
You need to be able to adapt, if not to be one of the leaders in adopting current technology. You can only sit back for so long — maybe long enough to take a breath. The technology you laugh at today might crunch out your pink slip next week. Managers who really excel in their organizations often do so by introducing or supporting new technology. This contributes to others — the employees who report to them as well as their superiors — perceiving them as innovators and leaders.
Even though it can seem that computers and software are already obsolete by the time you get them installed and configured to meet your needs, it's crucial to remain current with technology. New software is only backward-compatible (meaning that newer versions can work with data from older versions) for a short period of time. You might be able to squeeze five years from your PC system, especially if your needs are basic. But soon enough you'll have trouble finding software that will run on older computer systems.
