So much learned in such a short period of time!

Wow!  What an amazing eight weeks it has been!  We have truly learned an enormous amount of information in this short period of time, from simply looking at various technological tools available to leaders like Camtasia and Edmodo to reviewing how technology affects the workplace overall.   The new work of the “Networked Worker” has created a setting where many of us are at work, even when we are away from our desk, with our families or friends, enjoying our free time.  We are checking e-mail, taking phone calls from clients or students, or simply checking information on the web about a project we may be working on.  Being networked can mean you are always at work, if not managed properly. 

There are a few main takeaways that I have gathered from this course.  First, as workers and leaders become more and more networked, it is vital for leaders to be cognizant of this from a management perspective.   Putting in significant extra hours can lead to burnout, per this journal article from Personnel Today.  When unable to separate your 9-5 job and personal time due to technological assistants, one is more likely to burn out.  Making it more difficult is a leader that pressures staff to put in these extra hours.  Leaders may encourage the use of technology to make life easier, but do not force staff to take e-mails, phone calls, and do work after hours.  Allow staff to have that separate time away from their work so that they remain happy and healthy employees.

Another area that is an important takeaway I discussed in my blog last week.  There are many new and exciting technologies available to leaders in their various professional areas.  In health care, there is always a vendor coming in to sell a new software product that will revolutionize the industry, or a new treatment technology such as a scanner or a surgical robot.  The first step in looking to implement any new technology needs to be education.  How are we performing this task now?  Is it working well?  The next step should be completing a solid cost benefit analysis.  Will be benefits of this new technology outweigh the costs?  In some cases, the benefits will be higher revenue, so these will be easy to see.  In other cases, the benefits will be more efficiency or a longer term decrease in cost, so these will likely be more difficult to measure.  Ultimately making that cost benefit decision is crucial to the implementation of any new technology in most settings.

On a side note, I completely ‘swore off’ of all social media this week.  Although I don’t admit it much, my family is very into stock car racing, specifically sprint car racing.   I was a photographer and freelance writer for NASCAR and Speedway Illustrated, in a previous life.   A terrible tragedy occurred this past weekend involving a young driver and another driver close to our family.  After seeing some of the horrific things posted on Facebook and Twitter, I decided that I needed to take a break from being around people that could treat human beings they’d never met in such a manner.  Two days later, one of my favorite actors and comedians, Robin Williams sadly took his own life.  Again, I hear on the news stories of how his daughter is receiving horrible ‘doctored’ photographs of her father from people on Twitter and Instagram and is forced to shut down her accounts.   I’m reminded of a line from Patch Adams, one of my favorite Robin Williams movies.  He is on a cliff, ironically contemplating suicide, talking to God.   “Maybe you should have had just a few more brainstorming sessions prior to creation. You rested on the seventh day, maybe you should have spent that day on compassion.”

There is greatness to be harvested from the web, but a great deal of negativity and evil as well, just as there is in the population overall.  It’s all about finding that balance, what is good, and what is not.