We Are Tech Rich But Time Poor

Vancouver, BC – Business people today are enthusiastic users of new technology but struggle to balance personal and professional demands on their time. This Tech Rich: Time Poor" workforce is unable to translate the potential of technology into increased personal productivity, according to a new international survey.

The survey of more than 500 people, conducted by worldwide training company Priority Management, finds the use of technology is growing dramatically. From Internet use to cell phones to wireless devices, technology is omnipresent in todays workplace. But there is strong evidence that individuals dont have the skills to derive the productivity potential from this technology.

Technology has accelerated the pace of work, contributed to long working hours and generated high levels of stress. The result is ‘tech stress," says Dan Stamp, Chairman of Priority Management. We find that management skills amnesia is pervasive. People have forgotten the importance of such basics as planning and goal-setting while rushing to acquire the latest technology tools. Workers havent had time to adapt and evolve to a tech rich environment."

Technology on its own wont improve your personal productivity," says Stamp. If technology was meeting its promise, why do people still feel so overwhelmed by work? Its because they dont know how to make the technology work for them. Instead, they run the risk of being slaves to technology. Its making them busier but not necessarily more productive and certainly not happier."

The online survey of more than 500 businesspeople around the world revealed that 92 per cent of respondents said they were not using new technologies at their maximum capacity. Forty per cent said technology was not helping them to achieve personal goals. And an alarming 25 per cent said they started using new technologies not to make them more productive but just to keep up with technology trends. This is costing businesses worldwide billions of dollars in capital expenditures with a very limited ROI.

The survey also found there is more stress than satisfaction in todays workplace. Sixty per cent of respondents feel stressed three days or more a week, and a scant five per cent say they feel a sense of personal accomplishment at the end of every day.

Technology makes us accessible at all times but we are just starting to realize that just because you can be accessible, doesnt mean you should be," explains Stamp. The lines between our professional and personal lives are blurring thanks to cell phones, pagers, e-mail and the wireless revolution. Our survey shows that our personal lives are the losers."

The urge to be accessible and trendy could be creating an addiction to technology. Priority Management offers a 12-step program to overcome technology addiction and improve personal productivity (see below).

Full details of Priority Managements Tech Rich: Time Poor" report, can be found at: www.prioritymanagement.com.

About Priority Management
Priority Management is a worldwide training company with more than 200 offices in 15 countries. It has successfully trained more than one million graduates in Priority programs. These programs help companies and people be more effective in and out of the office by providing tools and processes to improve performance. Clients range from small business entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies.

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To interview Dan Stamp, Chairman of Priority Management or for further information, contact:

Scott Henderson
Contemporary Communications
Tel. (604) 734-3663, Fax (604) 734-8906
e-mail: scott.henderson@ccpr.com

Priority Managements 12-Step Program to Succeed in a Tech Rich World

Addiction to technology can impair both your personal and professional lives. Follow these 12 steps to start using technology more effectively and improve your personal productivity.

1.   Start your day with a plan, not your e-mail
Do you start your day by looking at your e-mail? This can sidetrack you from your true priorities and waste some of the most productive hours of the day. Dont let technology override your essential management skills. Identify your priorities at the beginning of the day and stick to that plan.

2.   Schedule personal time
If you dont show respect for your time with family, exercising or personal hobbies, no one else will – especially not your boss or clients. Recognize that sometimes personal activities are priorities that should be managed too and not just relegated for any time left over after work. Include your 5 p.m. workout or 6 p.m. Little League practice into your daily schedule.

3.   Control your cell
Decide when you will turn on your cell phone and respond to calls, and when you turn it off so you can focus on important personal pursuits. You might want to consider keeping your cell phone number private so that it is truly for just your use and not someone elses convenience.

4.   Ease up on e-mail
Checking your e-mail every 30 minutes or keeping a long list of messages in your In-box are signs of ineffective e-mail management. Learn how to use e-mail to save time, not squander it.

5.   Surf on your own time
Research shows most people use office time to surf the Internet for personal reasons. Dont let an infatuation with the Web rob you of valuable productive time at work. Save the surfing for your personal time and set a time limit before you start surfing to ensure you maintain control of your time.

6. Dont be a slave to your voice mail
Be disciplined about checking your messages. Dont pick up messages more than four times during the day. Otherwise your voice mail becomes a productivity bandit that distracts you from your high priority tasks.

7.   Take a quiet hour
Schedule a regular time each day when you focus on your own business goals and dont let technology interrupt you. Shut your office door, let calls go to voice-mail and ignore the e-mail so you can work on important projects uninterrupted.

8.   Use a single source
Wheres that important phone number – in an address book, wireless device or on a business card in your wallet? By keeping all contact info, your daily plan and your schedule in one place, youll save valuable time when you need to access important details.

9.   Dont be a slave to trends
If you frequently change the technology you use, take a moment to consider why. If you think the latest, fastest technology will make you more productive, you are doomed to be disappointed. Stop changing devices and start building your personal management skills.

10.   Dont rob your family
Dont deny your family of your time and attention by being constantly accessible by cell phone, pager or e-mail. One way to de-stress from the work day is to turn off your cell phone 10 minutes before you get home so you can shift from your professional life to your personal life.

11.   Balance your skills
Invest in learning how to master the technology you use. Balance these technology skills with essential management skills – fundamental skills such as planning, managing priorities and delegation – so you can use the technology to achieve your priorities. Make sure your technology is making you more productive and not just busier.

12.   Put your technology to the test
Look at the technology tools you use. Ask yourself how the technology will make you smarter and perform better on the job. By asking this question, youll save yourself loads of time, stress and money.

To take the Tech Rich: Time Poor survey or to read the survey results, go to www.prioritymanagement.com.