Last month, I participated at Business Technology Association’s Winter Break at Disney. A fantastic event with record attendance, and I must confess that the brief escape from what has been a long, cold New Jersey winter was not too shabby.
During many conversations, I was asked: “What do you think of the event?”
I remember talking with someone, and explaining that my favorite thing about an event like this is that everyone has an opportunity to physically be away from the distractions of their business, and get the opportunity to talk with each other.
Have you noticed that there is an unfair balance in communicating electronically versus actual conversation?
Conversations have evolved to telephone, to voice mail, to e-mail, to text, to Facebook posts, to Twitter.
Of course it is super convenient, and at the same time it has thrown off a huge imbalance.
You see a couple sitting in a restaurant, meals on the table, and each of them are staring at their smart phones. Is each person zoned in to their own smart phone, or are the two people having a very stimulating conversation via text? You start wondering 20 years from now; will we even talk with each other at all? Perhaps, it will be because we have forgotten how.
Many know that I am a big fan of Seth Godin, and Seth’s blog this weekend inspired me to think about this communication dilemma more. Here it is, short and powerful:
Five steps to digital hygiene
Washing your hands helps you avoid getting sick.
Putting fattening foods out of your reach helps you stay slim.
And the provocations and habits you encounter in the digital world keep you productive (or drive you crazy):
- Turn off mail and social media alerts on your phone.
- Don't read the comments. Not on your posts or on the posts of other people. Not the reviews and not the trolls.
- De-escalate the anger in every email exchange.
- Put your phone in the glove compartment while driving.
- Spend the most creative hour of your day creating, not responding.
Each habit is hard to swallow and easy to maintain. Worth it.
Click here to read Seth’s blog
I hope Seth’s message had a positive impact on improving your digital hygiene.
# 5 was the step that resonated most with me. Choosing to write and share this message, instead of cleaning up e-mail. If it made you think about which of Seth’s steps you need to take action on, then writing this was all worth it.
Which step was most valuable to you?