Zen Habits discusses embracing change in the workplace:
The traditional office work environment and tools are still around, but at a very rapid pace, they’re being supplanted by newer and better tools, newer and better ways of working. The old rules are being broken, and new ones are emerging.
You could call this the Workplace of the Future, as not all businesses have adopted these models, and it will be a few years before these new rules are the norm. But for many people (myself included), this is the Workplace of Today — there’s no need to wait for new technologies or tools, because they’re already here.
So you could wait a few years, resist the new trends, talk about how great things were back in your day … or you could embrace the new rules, and be a part of the change.
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If a new technology or way of working is better, let’s go with it. That doesn’t mean we should just adopt things because they’re new and shiny and trendy — sometimes the old is actually better. But if the new ways are better, let’s embrace them.
There are some great specific examples pointed out in the article (cloud computing, collaboration, decentralized office, archiving over filing, small teams over large ones, single-task over multi-task, etc), and I’d highly recommend the read.
The one question I’ve always struggled with is: how do you prove the new way is better? What seems obvious to one person, often doesn’t to someone else. For example: I have had wi-fi at home for 7 years, but never had it at work (still don’t). Seems obvious and natural to use it, but then again, what exactly would the business value to wi-fi be? We have internet-connected computers at our desks, and wired access in the conference rooms … do we really need to loose the wires? What’s the value?
Of course, I’m being a bit facetious, but the question is serious. How _do_ you get a new way or new technology accepted in the work place? Putting together a return-on-investment paper on the value of something so common as wi-fi seems a bit ludicrous.
Tags: change, work environment
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Peter,
RE: new rules– e.g. wi-fi/ technology stuff.
for me, working in a smallnon-profit office, one of the main questions is: will it really be more efficient. technies want to imply to us that technology save time and money, but in my work world– personal contact IS still very important–even vital– but also, if the bleeps and burps of the ‘new system/technology’ end up losing us customers or time– or making our few employees so stressed they are not able to show up for work, then it is/was not worth the expense. .
but we can only see these things after months of aggravation (analysis?). .and by then we have lost so much time and energy in the frustration, we don’t have to figure the lost opportunities, etc.
I personally use more intuition to trust these decisions (and wait until they are actually necessary to replace my old broken stuff– like buying a car after it is worn out). .than always trying to be ‘on top’ of the newest stuff.
For many, they are toys. .and they are a distraction.
i.e.. .texting through phones.. .
which will probably lead to many workplaces having to write new personnel policies about appropriate cell phone behavior at work.
a tool is a tool when it is not used inappropriately as a diversion (toy).
how do we demonstrate/teach to our younger employees these fine lines of discretion?
Lea