You have all seen or know a CEO
who has every technological gadget on the market. E-mails are routed to his phone, which are read to him
by the computer via his earpiece. Voice
mails are logged and sorted by importance based on preset filters. This person
is so plugged in, he starts to resemble a
robot with all of his buttons
and screens attached to
him.
You’ve also seen his nemesis: Mr. Old School. This person avoids technology like a
disease. Forget about wireless headsets because if he
has a cell phone, it’s only so
the wife can contact him in
an emergency. E-mails? He
never bothers to check
them even though the company IT guy
gave him an address years ago. This guy is
so anti-technology he’d power his company on wood-burning stoves if he could figure out a way to do it.
But the interesting thing is, both CEOs
are successful. Both get the job done
and know how to run an organization
that turns a profit.
This brings up the question of how
much technology should you personally
be using? Some people embrace technology and have proven successful, while
others abhor it and are likewise successful. So how much is the right amount?
For me, I know that there’s a lot of
technology out there that would probably be beneficial, but I just don’t have
the time to devote to it. Much of today’s
technology requires an upfront investment in training, whether its reading
the manual and trying to figure out how
the gadget works on your own or having someone come to your office to
show you all the bells and whistles. For
me, I use some technology, but I know I
could probably be getting more out of
what I already have, but I just can’t find
the time to get the training.
The other problem is, technology is
evolving so rapidly; it’s a full-time job just
trying to keep up with everything. Why
spend time training on a device that may
already be obsolete?
We face some of these same issues
when it comes to implementing technology in our company as a whole. You want to make sure everyone has the
tools he or she needs to be efficient but
not pay for cutting-edge technology that
costs more than any return you’ll ever
see on that investment. When you are
choosing technology for yourself, you
can afford to spend more because it’s
only for one person, and a small gain in
time can pay big dividends
for the company. But the
problem is, while you may
have every intention of getting the most out of the latest gadget, the day-to-day
necessities of running a business often get in the way.
So how do you decide
what technology is best for
you? The key factor is comfort. Get recommendations
from your friends who also run businesses and see what works for them —
and maybe they can give you tips on
how to use it as well, eliminating some
of the training time.
Maybe the most important thing is to be
realistic with both the expectations for
the technology and yourself.
Technology can help you find answers,
but it isn’t the answer itself. Buying the
latest gizmo isn’t going to solve your cash
flow problems or necessarily make you
more efficient. For example, if you had a
hard time communicating your vision to
employees before, the device may give
you the means to do so, but it’s still going
to be up to you to get the job done.
Technology is just a tool to help you
build your business, so be realistic about
what you will use and try to ignore the
“cool” factor. Too often, technology is
like that exercise equipment that sits
unused in your house — an expensive
reminder of a good intention that never
panned out. The equipment could help
you get in shape, but it’s you that has to
ultimately get the job done.
So keep that in mind when you are
looking at the latest gizmo. Is it a tool
that complements your style perfectly, or
is it a $200 paperweight with a fancy
screen? It’s up to you to decide.
FRED KOURY is president and CEO of Smart Business
Network Inc. Reach him with your comments at (800) 988-4726
or [email protected].
