Much has been talked recently regarding agile and remote working, using technology which allows you to be anywhere and still be able to communicate with your colleagues to get the job done, it’s wonderful, except when it isn’t!
Remember that old excuse about why you have not done something because the dog ate your homework/report etc this has been replaced by “I couldn’t get a signal” which in truth may very well be the case.
With the international business we have been doing recently technology has been a huge communications benefit and allowed us to keep projects running smoothly.
Technology is wonderful when it works, and hugely frustrating when it does not. I think that we are all so conditioned to having instant communication at our fingertips and being able to reach the other side of the world in seconds that when something goes wrong your business day stalls.
An urgent phone call needs to be made or answered, but you have no signal on your phone. As happened to me last night, important e-mails had to be sent, but the internet connection dropped out because of a problem at our local exchange.
In our business, face-to-face contact really matters, it’s important. When you are Skyping a client the last thing you need is for the picture to freeze and the audio feed making you sound like a demented Dalek!
If it was all taken away tomorrow, how would we cope, what back up plans are in place, oh, hang on, got to go. The broadband light has just come on and I’ve got three bars on the mobile!
By David Kentish
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