America's Best Business Practices

I wonder how many of the tech addicts are “social cripples”? And the higher the percentage of tech addicts our society spawns, the bigger relationship problems will arise.

Ruby

Ruby,

Thanks for commenting. You posed a good question and an interesting prediction.

You have to turn lemons into lemonade, by keeping it real for the small business owner

Real and actionable. then no one is a social cripple

Larry,

I should clarify something before this “social cripple” thing takes on a life of its own. To be fair-some tech-savvy people are just introverted. That doesn’t make them social cripples.

By the way, you are absolutely correct about turning lemons into lemonade and keeping it real for the small business owner.

just walking through the small business landscape provides adequate opportunity to see that There is so much spare technology that just needs to be be organized as it’s removed from service

Most small businesses are supported by 3 hobbists or tech savy people. As an small business IT professional there are fewer of us than plumbers, or electricians; and you know how hard they are to get to show up. As a small business IT professional I am always connected to small business computers and their business goals.

I remove the dgital divide one small business owner at a time. No matter how disconnected someone is technology can be shown to be a potent small business weapon quickly. This can be done at 3% of small business operating revenue. But what do 4% companies, or 5% companies?

Each group or bucket gains speciific benefits while they operate at that level. If you learn when to be in each stage you can grow your wealth faster than you neighbor. That’s how we divide out the digital imbalance. It’s all about the communication of value. Then trade your value for the better managed small business technology framework.

The ultimate challenge for the tech addict is to see that the non-tech savvy do not waste their valuable assets of the wrong paradigms. Yes the way that the non tech savvy view technology often illustrates how they make all life decisions. So by crafting the way they view technology, the tech addict can engage in the wider world. Maybe that is why there are three hobbyists for every small business owner. Perhaps these hobbyists feel satisfaction as they share their best practices with their small business friends. Certainly the owners gain value as they support themselves with this support group.
But does the hobbyist get the small business owner to develop their target market? Does the hobbyist even participate in the same industry? Is that even relevant to explaining the digital divide?

Thanks, Susan, for clarifying what I meant. As a psychotherapist, I’ve already seen too many young adults who are terrific texting but are totally inept socially. After they begin a relationship, soooo many problems erupt. They lack the social skills non-techy generations generally learned – sometimes the hard way – but at an earlier age. There isn’t the “staying power” of previous generations. Just look at our high divorce rate. Introverts and shy folks have another set of problems and they tend to hide behind their techy skills cuz it’s easier. Manners are learned before
we hit high school, hopefully. But our current generation are, for the most part, “clueless” about manners and being sensitive to those around them.

Well, thanks for the platform for my rant :)
Ruby

Larry,

Please forgive me if I have missed your point. Are you are trying to differentiate yourself from “hobbyists” since IT consulting is your business? If so, I agree.

Ruby,

Your comment reminded me of what a speaker for our SCORE meeting said about why people from “older generations” have so much trouble understanding younger generations. By now, we have all heard or read something about generational differences. But, his remarks hit a new chord with me.

As our older generation grew up, we shared many of the same cultural experiences. For example, we had so few television channels that we all watched the same programs and commercials. This gave us a very similar exposure to the world. You can see just how uniformly “programmed” we were by looking at our high school yearbooks. We all looked a lot like our parents; like who are ready for a day at the office (minus the experience, of course). This similar cultural programming lasted for about 20 years (1925 to 1945)! No wonder we share so many common beliefs about life and work.

Today, the length of time for any uniform cultural experience is getting shorter and shorter. Not only is the cultural programming for younger generations not the same as it was for us, it can differ dramatically for the youth based on their race, nationality, family, religion, lifestyle, access to resources, media and technology, etc. Today’s “youth” may still represent a specific demographic, but one can’t make very many generalizations because they share precious few of the same experiences.

With regard to manners, a young person has infinite choices on TV, in movies, music, and games. They hear profanity (I can’t believe how often I hear the “F” bomb!), watch people undress, have sex and watch commercials about products for ED (erectile dysfunction and orgasm. My Mother and Father would be mortified.

To a certain degree, today’s youth have the power to determine and reinforce their own cultural programming. When we were teens, we had very little choice in our cultural programming. As an example, virtually the entire country sat down and watched the same television show at the same time, Virtually the entire country watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show and the assassination of John F Kennedy. Many of us watched Lucy and Desi (I Love Lucy) or June and Ward Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver) live together in complete harmony, resolving every conflict and restoring family bliss within an hour.

Today, on many TV shows and movies the central characters form romantic relationships (heterosexual as well as gay) almost instantly, fall apart within minutes, and then, almost instantaneously, they meet and fall in love with someone new. To your point, all too often this is what young people see and experience in real life as well. All of this can create a belief within our young that the very nature of relationships is temporary.

One of the biggest and positive differences between older generations and today’s youth is the ease with which young people accept and adapt to diversity and change. Unlike many of us who were taught to do as we were told and not question authority, today’s youth are much more comfortable challenging the status quo. They may not understand or respect protocols or their elders, but they see things very differently than we do. And that is a good thing. If organizations want to continue to innovate, they are going to need to learn to accept and reward this kind of behavior.

Please forgive me for this long rant!

“The day I understand how to do your work is the day I don’t need you!” – Priceless response!

Susan, you bring up so many interesting and important points. Your admittance that perhaps the less tech-savvy might be a little intimidated by technology – and we know that includes you and me – is very humbling. I think there is a certain arrogance to some who are more tech-savvy when they say “get with the program”. It is definitely a generational divide as well. How about spending time with a teenager? They are texting a mile a minute while they are eating, driving (which is SO DANGEROUS!), talking to you, in class, etc. That person you mention who texted himself out of a job is an idiot. Forgive my bluntness, but I believe in telling it like it is. Characteristics like common sense and respect are becoming less and less evident.

The point you bring up about people using technology because of a fear of intimacy is also interesting, There is no question that people are communicating less in person because of the ease-of-use of modern technology. I think for some there is that fear, and for some, the increasing use of automation is causing them to be more like robots and forgetting that we are all human.

There is no doubt that “too much of a good thing” can be bad.

Julie,

As far as being intimidated by technology, its’ good to know I am not the only one. By the way, your point about the dangers of teenagers texting while driving is well taken. One of my daughter’s friends died in an automobile accident because she was texting while driving.

Susan,

That is horrible about your daughter’s friend! There was a video going around that showed a horrific real crash scene caused by texting while driving. Such a waste and so sad.

Susan:
Then there are those of us Boomers who just don’t ‘need’ to text people while driving down the road, endangering our fellow citizens. We don’t feel a need to ‘communicate’ in 140 characters or less constantly. And, we just plain like to socialize and network with people one-on-one, face-to-face when we can.

We still use the full English language…with a lot less profanity…vs. text abbreviations. It’s truly scary to receive resumes from college graduates of the tech-savvy generation who can’t write a basic cover letter or resume and haven’t mastered simple tech like spell check.

There are positive and not-so-positive aspects to each generation, based on their life experiences. I am impressed by those who have a grasp on the latest and greatest in technology, but when I get dizzy and my eyes roll back in my head, you’ll know I am on tech info overload.

Susan – as you note in your article, small businesses have to be technology savvy:

“If they aren’t savvy enough to be using the appropriate internet marketing tools and techniques including Web 2.0, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Blogging, Social Media and text message marketing, they could be missing huge opportunities to grow their business.”

I think the chief challenge today is how do small businesses implement an integrated solution utilizing the tools available, how and who manages the process to insure a consistent message that incorporates the brand of the company, it’s culture and mission, without creating those “walls” you refer to?

First it was email and voice mail (and yes, I come from the era of the little pink message slips and if I have to be really honest, we even had a party line when I was growing up!)…

Personally, I have struggled with this issue for years – what used to be a weekly Sunday morning phone call to a friend on the East coast ended up becoming quick notes via email while we were both out on the road.

Technology allows us to be more efficient. We can keep in contact with our key customers – whether they are clients, fellow employees, partners, etc. – but how do you balance the use of technology with the old-fashioned, sit down and look someone in the eye and ask, “how are we doing and what else can we do to help”?

Can a company truly innovate and build new products or services by posting a survey on a website? Some of my greatest successes have come from spending time with people, discussing, debating, challenging and dreaming up new ideas…

You captured the essence of the issue when you noted:

“Technology is a double edged sword. It has revolutionized how we solve problems, communicate and live. And yet, while it is virtually eliminating the geographical distance between people, it has also become a significant barrier to authentic communication and lasting relationships. You see, the digital divide is dividing people.”

I will always prefer hearing someone’s laugh in person (or even on my smart phone) to “lol” in a tweet, text message or email… and of course, as a Mother of 4 boys, I have never resorted to an email or text message with “xoxo” in it…

You succinctly summarized in your article what I have been concerned about for years:

“We need to be careful we don’t create a world full of tech-addicts who prefer the instant gratification of virtual relationships and conversations rather than the real thing.”

There is a big difference between keeping “in contact” and “being in touch”.

Julie,

I am particularly out of touch with technology when it comes texting. Quite frankly, texting with my phone isn’t that easy. So, when I receive text messages, it is kind of irritating to have to reply. If I were to upgrade to one of those Smartphones with voice recognition it might not be such a chore.

Probably the biggest advantage of text messaging is if you want to communicate with someone privately so no one else can hear what you are saying. So many companies now have policies prohibiting the use of company computers for personal communications that employees are being driven to use text messaging at work. This is probably one of the reasons kids love it so much because they can text all day at school under their desk and the teacher won’t realize they aren’t paying attention.

Susan,

My biggest problem with texting is that if I don’t have my glasses on, I can’t read the messages or respond with anything legible. My children enjoy mocking me on that one. I tell them to call me if they want to be able to decipher my responses. Although I do have to admit that some of my text messages are so “out there” they are actually funny.

Yes, communicating privately is a big advantage of texting but besides being against some company’s policies, it is also rude when you are talking to someone who is texting during your conversation. However, another advantage is if you really don’t have either the time or the inclination to get involved in a conversation with someone, sending a quick message is a viable alternative.

BTW – the teachers know exactly what these kids are doing – they aren’t really hiding it LOL

Brenda,

Thanks for taking the time to comment! Your remark about preferring to hear someone’s laugh in person or on a phone to “LOL” in a tweet or email is priceless. The more high tech we become, the more important is for us to be “high touch”.

Julie,

You are a hoot! At least you and your kids can share a few laughs about it.

Thanks for posting this. You make a good point on the addiction front and in some cases, this ‘drug’ may be more harmful than chemicals earlier generations put into their bodies :-). It’s sad for me to see kids with college degrees behind them who lack basic skills like counting change or spelling (to whit, I received a thank you note this weekend from a recent grad indicating ‘it was grate (sic) getting to know me better’). Ever tried to give cashier change lately to get back quarters, or heaven forbid, a small coin? If they miss keying it into the register, they’re lost. Many youth seem to view exercise as something that’s limited to their thumbs (ever seen a fat hippy?). Scarey stuff.

Let’s hope we bridge this divide soon – for the sake of the techno neophytes, but more importantly, the future of this country.

It’s been some time since our last post, but I felt compelled to write back to the group. I certainly enjoyed the comments. As a Small Business IT professional, I can assure that our use of social media and communications technology will only continue… you can’t put the genie back in the bottle!

Businesses and individuals will both struggle with the advances in technology. The old will be criticized for being non-tech savvy, younger people will be scolded for their rudeness in their heavy digital usage. These positions are both generalizations and caricatures.

And then there are all of those somewhere in between – like the Baby Boomers generation, etc. What to do?

What it all comes down to is that we must try to embrace technology, at least to some degree. I would argue that businesses must embrace technology, it’s just too risky to pass up on the economies and efficiencies it can provide. Most individuals need to accept technology for their jobs, leisure activities, etc.

Technology will only proceed and advance, and we would be wise to embrace the benefits it can provide, rather than resist it and lose out on its many advantages.

Larry,

Although those who know me might label me as “technophobic” (and they’d be right!), I totally agree with you about needing to embrace technology. However, for those of us who are slower to adapt to and integrate new technologies, we hope “techies” like you will be patient with us.

We all try to teach where we can. My original post referred to the fact that small businesses need to find trusted advisors who have chosen small business technology as their service set. Look for people who have been supporting small business customers for over 10 years as an example

Larry,

Good advice!