Employees don’t need every new gadget that comes along, no matter how cool they are

My name is Carmi and I’m addicted to technology. Hardly a moment goes by when I’m not figuring out how I’m going to get my paws on the latest and greatest device from the hottest manufacturer. When I do, I’ll often stay up all night to put it through its paces. It’s a process that frequently takes over my life, to the point that my kids know to leave me alone when my eyes glaze over and I start spouting geekspeak. My wife? Not so impressed. Maybe she has a point. While it’s easy to assume that today’s rapidly evolving communication technologies have redefined how we connect with each other and how we manage our businesses in the process, we’d be naïve to assume that it comes without a gotcha or two. There’s such thing as too much technology, and I admit I often cross the line. I’m willing to bet some businesses do, too. Better, faster, smarter communication technologies aren’t just changing business. They’re changing our lives, too. The concept of “office” has evolved from a room or a cubicle with a desktop computer and a phone to anywhere a smartphone can get a signal. We revel in being able to do more – and to do it better – no matter where we are. We measure ourselves against others by the devices we carry, the way we use them, and the results we achieve in the process. But should you be updating the budget spreadsheet on your BlackBerry while you sit in the stands of your daughter’s piano recital just because you can? Is there a point at which all this capability disconnects us from the underlying business need? Quite possibly, yes. I suspect we may have gotten more than a little carried away in our quest to do it better and faster, and to look cooler doing it. Don’t get me wrong: technology remains a force for good in business. It streamlines communication and in doing so reduces the stickiness that kills deals and hampers creativity. It takes work that used to be mundane and repetitive and turns it into something worth discussing around the dinner table. In a business world that increasingly defines itself by the amazing things it can do with next-generation communication technologies, those who stick with yesterday’s toys risk being perceived as also-rans. But sadly, magic bullets are just that: magic. This may sound like heresy, but a BlackBerry or iPhone isn’t an absolute necessity for every workplace. Not every employee needs to go mobile. Come to think of it, not every employee needs unified communications, voice over IP or collaboration software, either. Your people may want this stuff. Whether they need it to remain competitive is another story altogether. The business case for acquiring any new technology should not be based on whether everyone around you has it, too. If you’ve been getting the job done – and staying competitive – with your existing suite of tools, rushing to acquire the next best thing may distract you from your core activities. While you’re busy learning how to use your new device, and while your help desk is busy trying to get you connected, your competitor may be picking up the phone and making the sale instead of you. Like any business investment, ROI needs to be the driver. If you can quantify it within the context of your workflow and business environment, then by all means buy in. But if you’re simply trying to keep up with Jones in the adjacent office or want to have a leading edge piece of hardware to chat about at the next party, you may want to give it a second thought. New technologies introduce subtle and not-so-subtle changes to infrastructure and related workflows – changes that inevitably come with tangible and intangible costs. When the economy was booming and no one gave much thought to how much all this stuff costs, it was easy to get caught up in the hype cycle. Companies of all stripes, flush with cash, routinely rolled the dice on new technology and assumed the good times would always fund such techie largesse. Today’s lean environment is forcing a dramatic rethink. Either it pays for itself or it doesn’t get funded. I think a part of me will always be addicted to technology. We all like shiny, new stuff, and this thinking applies to the tools we use to run our business as well as the doodads we use for entertainment and leisure. The key to ensuring we don’t overspend on things we don’t need lies in identifying when the not-so-shiny toys we already have are beginning to run out of steam, and then calculating the business benefits of investing in next-generation solutions. We need to learn the difference between want and need. In these scary times, balance is the new cool. Definitely preferable to a 12-step program.

Employees don’t need every new gadget that comes along, no matter how cool they are

News | 04/30/2009 1:53 pm EDT

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