I happened to read this article from the RoyalWings, the inflight magazine of Royal Jordanian, while on a flight from Amman to Beirut. It is about how our lives are being affected by today’s technology that we work wherever we go, regardless of the time of the day, the day of the week, who we are with, etc.
Jen Miller, the author of the article, said that technology allows us to be connected and contactable all the time. I’ll be honest to say that I’m one of those people who will make sure I reply to work emails wherever I am. Before going to bed, no matter if it is 10pm 0r 2am, I make sure that I check my inbox so that I don’t miss an important information, and reply when possible.
Earlier in our lives when these cell phones, blackberry and internet are not yet around, the wall between work life and personal life is very clear. The moment you punched out your time card on that bundy clock for example at 18:00, even before it gets 18:01, then you are disconnected until the time you punch in again.
Now, that everyone has a cell phone, even the not so busy employees might be distracted by their managers or supervisors in the middle of their sleep, or in a bar, or in a moviehouse, or on a weekend out of town with their families, etc, to be asked job related questions, or to be informed that the schedule has been changed, or to be disappointed that the day-off has been canceled because something came up…well something like that, I bet you all dig this.
In my case, the secret is for me to find ways and time when to disconnect myself from work. But how about our business partners working in different time zones? What about my boss who’s time is 3 hours behind me. She must be in her office at 9pm my time, and if I get lucky that she stays later, it will be until 10pm. What if I don’t reply? What if I put it off for the next day? Will they think I am not working? Will they think I am lazy? Will I be out of the loop or something? Well I supposed it doesn’t really matter whether I reply now at 10pm, now that I am already tired, or tomorrow at 9am when I’m fresher and can think of a better answer. I should advice myself that.
So there it goes, technology makes many of us difficult to manage the balance between work life and personal life. But then again, according to Jen, technology is here to stay – we’re the ones who need to switch off…
So, I got to end this now. I have to check my mails…
Jen Miller, the author of the article, said that technology allows us to be connected and contactable all the time. I’ll be honest to say that I’m one of those people who will make sure I reply to work emails wherever I am. Before going to bed, no matter if it is 10pm 0r 2am, I make sure that I check my inbox so that I don’t miss an important information, and reply when possible.
Earlier in our lives when these cell phones, blackberry and internet are not yet around, the wall between work life and personal life is very clear. The moment you punched out your time card on that bundy clock for example at 18:00, even before it gets 18:01, then you are disconnected until the time you punch in again.
Now, that everyone has a cell phone, even the not so busy employees might be distracted by their managers or supervisors in the middle of their sleep, or in a bar, or in a moviehouse, or on a weekend out of town with their families, etc, to be asked job related questions, or to be informed that the schedule has been changed, or to be disappointed that the day-off has been canceled because something came up…well something like that, I bet you all dig this.
In my case, the secret is for me to find ways and time when to disconnect myself from work. But how about our business partners working in different time zones? What about my boss who’s time is 3 hours behind me. She must be in her office at 9pm my time, and if I get lucky that she stays later, it will be until 10pm. What if I don’t reply? What if I put it off for the next day? Will they think I am not working? Will they think I am lazy? Will I be out of the loop or something? Well I supposed it doesn’t really matter whether I reply now at 10pm, now that I am already tired, or tomorrow at 9am when I’m fresher and can think of a better answer. I should advice myself that.
So there it goes, technology makes many of us difficult to manage the balance between work life and personal life. But then again, according to Jen, technology is here to stay – we’re the ones who need to switch off…
So, I got to end this now. I have to check my mails…
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