Email Pitfalls – The Addict Speaks Out

I am an email addict. There - I've said it.

I love email. I love it so much, I seldom find myself going more than a few minutes without clicking that "send and receive" button just to see if there is anything new that my automatic download didn't catch 2 minutes ago.

The problem is, my like and dislike of email are close to the same thing...instant communication.

What I love about email:

Email is a tool to allow instant communication of ideas, request and deliver information and collaborate with others on projects, community organizations or even to chat with family and friends who don't live next door!

What I don't love about email:


Because email is a tool for allowing instant communication, there is the expectation that email will be read and responded to immediately. In many cases, this can cause undue stress and strain on an average information worker's daily rituals. Because others expect us to respond immediately, we feel we just HAVE to reply as soon as the email magically appears in our inbox causing us to spend time and energy on things that may not be quite so important as things like, say "Customer Service".

I'm learning to make better use of my email application of choice so that SPAM and Junk messages get into a junk folder and I deal with them on a weekly basis (unless I find the time to sift through that folder in the evenings...but really I have much better things to do with my time.

With the increase in cool and effective instant communication tools, I am finding other ways to amuse myself...while I no longer click the send and receive button every two minutes, I do find other ways to work with those around me so that when I need a quick answer or input from someone and they are available, I use Instant Messages instead.

Using MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger allow me to keep my email clutter free while I assist others in doing the same thing. I keep copies of my conversations (especially those work related messages) for future reference just like I archive my email, but most importantly, I find I'm saving time for all the really important things in life - like BLOGGING.

Well - It's been a whole ten minutes without email or messaging so I really feel I need to get my fix...oh yeah, that and my coffee cup is empty - go figure!

Windows Vista and Office 12

At a PDC Convention earlier this year, it was announced that Microsoft had finally settled on a name for the new version of Windows due for release in fall 2006.

Windows Vista is a robust OS with so many excellent features, bells and whistles, the I thought I would share some of that information here with you.

On a webcast located on the Microsoft.com website, you can see a VERY lengthy address by Bill Gates, with presentations by Chris Capossela (Corporate VP) on the new version of Windows and the New Office12 due for release at the same time.

While the two little videos show you quick clips of Windows Vista and Office12, it is an excellent idea to take a peek at the actually three hour video (I stopped watching after Chris' presentation on Office 12) because you get to be a voyeur into the future of personal and business computing. Chris shows neat new additions to the windows capabilities like thumbnail taskbar items, 3-D window scrolling, and drag and drop document editing which allows you to edit documents from a thumbnail without ever opening the document. The old windows explorer search has been replaced with a more powerful search engine that scans your entire PC for items meeting your criteria.

As you can tell, I'm just a little excited about this - but what gets me even more excited is the new Office 12!

Instead of chatter away about it, I'll just let you watch the video...
Click here to view Bill Gate's and Chris Capossela's information.


I'm really looking forward to the changes in both the operating system and the Office Suite and I know that some of you will appreciate the changes coming our way next year!

Presenting New Ideas to an “Old” Audience

Who was it that said "Change is good"?

I know my mother said it to me when I was young, and I say it to my clients from time to time.

While it may be a cliché, change really can be good - the hard part about change is selling it. This can be exceptionally challenging when dealing with a more mature crowd. Many older workers, those baby boomers nearing retirement age, are not interested in learning to use a computer or work with new software packages that benefit their work environment. (This is a generalization, no disrespect is meant.)

It becomes increasingly important for the workplace to sell the idea of acceptance of large scale change within the workplace. One of the largest changes I've seen within the insurance industry is the move from DOS based applications to the Windows platform.

Struggles included learning to use a mouse, new terminology and constant system changes and upgrades. Gone are the days when a computer lasted ten years and the application didn't change. Now we have regular updates, program enhancements and new operating systems emerging even more quickly then some people can learn the current setup!

How do you sell the idea that change is good?

A couple of tips I've picked up along the way include:

• demonstrate how this will help (usually saying that a child or grandchild is learning the same skills is enough to raise more than a few eyebrows and coax older computer users to attempt a new task
  
• demonstrate what's in it for "me" - showing how and why a newly implemented program is necessary is a great way to make the learner feel involved in the anticipated success of the roll-out
  
• speak on their level. Never use techno-babble unless you are speaking with another techno-expert. Simplifying your language and the ideas you are presenting will ease the transition and the learner will feel more comfortable because they can understand what you are saying. Comprehension of the ideas is a important as using the tools.
  
• finally, treat other users the way you would like to be treated. Show respect and the same will be yours in return, show understanding and patience and your users will also be understanding and patient.
  

What adult learners need most is positive reinforcement, feedback and support for the technology changes they face in the workplace and at home.