I'm continuing a thread started in Media Free? That's easy...and scary. Know why? (Part 1). You can find the link thread at the bottom of this post. I'm pondering if it's true that people have a hard time unplugging and getting off the grid. Part 1 mentioned several blog posts that caught my eye and lead to this thread. Part 2 linked announcing going off the grid with asking someone to watch your house while you're away and Part 3 provided some hints as to why some people can get off the grid more easily than others.
Part 4 had me wondering why popular culture suggests that taking time for ones' self is an undesirable activity and Part 5 listed some things we've documented in our research. Part 6 dealt with SIMM behavior and why some cultures have no problem unplugging (if they even plug in as people in the US think of it). We continue from there.
A NextStage researcher spent several months with a company that adopted "Emailless Fridays". I'll let her explain:People were being overwhelmed by the number of emails they were receiving each day. It was taking up a lot of their time responding to each one and they felt the need to answer the emails as they popped up. It wasn't so much the amount of emails, it was the content. Many of these emails were from co-workers who could have picked up the phone or dropped in and spoken with the person. Many were from colleagues that were in the next cubicle.
Coming to see a co-worker has some advantages: you get the answer immediately and a social connection is made. Co-workers actually get to know each other and a discussion takes place, ideas are exchanged. The disadvantage to this is that a conversation my actually take place. Many people are socially immature when it comes to conversations, especially business ones where their ideas are discussed. They're fine with the water-cooler talk, but ask them to discuss their ideas and have to defend them is beyond their abilities. Emails are safe. We say things in emails that we wouldn't dare say on the phone and never to any one face to face.
(more to follow)
Please contact NextStage for information regarding presentations and trainings on this and other topics.
Links for this post:
- Email Bankruptcy blog posts
- The Eventing Yourself Blog arc
- Going Off the Grid
- In this arc:
- Media Free? That's easy...and scary. Know why? (Part 1)
- Media Free? That's easy...and scary. Know why? (Part 2)
- Media Free? That's easy...and scary. Know why? (Part 3)
- Media Free? That's easy...and scary. Know why? (Part 4)
- Media Free? That's easy...and scary. Know why? (Part 5)
- Media Free? That's easy...and scary. Know why? (Part 6)
- MediaFreeZones
- Proof I'm a Luddite
- Unplugging... why is it so hard?
- Voluntary Simplification blog posts
- IMedia Brand Summit on 9-12 Sept 07
- XChange on 20-21 Sept 07
- DC Emetrics Summit on 14-17 Oct '07
- Society for New Communications Research Annual Research Symposium & Awards Gala on 5-6 Dec 07 in Boston.
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