Technology: tool, barrier and nusance....

This past holiday season, I had the fabulous opportunity to work seasonal retail sales at a notable national jeweler institution (hint: they are known for an iconic blue box). I've done this in the past and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The clients are typically polite, well intended and mannerly...the merchandise is dazzling and the company employees are the cream...

Here's what I noticed about the retail experience this year over the past...Even in a highly tactile and highly personalized purchase (which jewelry optimizes), technology has become pervasive...here's how:

1- A tool --  customers would either cite a website, or use the company's site as key reference. People came into the store prepared. Many knew what they wanted to buy..the big distinction was...they still wanted to touch it. They wanted to bond with the piece. Many responded that the pieces looked larger on the site. Answer: Yes, they do..that's just another reason to go and look at it before you purchase it.

2- An obvious barrier - -People no longer have the excuse to lie and say 'I am just browsing' if they are approached by a sales professional. They can simply just blow by them without eye contact and continue to talk, text and rightfully walk into displays and walls because of their inability to navigate their environment
The reality: The sales professional really does want to help you. This particular business does enjoy it when you show a genuine interest in their merchandise. They have a highly talented design staff that does create unique pieces that only this store carries. You as a consumer are missing out. The sales professional oft times has insight to how far you can stretch your budget. You should leverage their expertise and not think of them as 'commissionable pushers'...It's not right.

3- The nuance - -Think of this...You have come into someones office, you lean over their desk and talk to them (but only half listening) while you are engaged in a mobile conversations (you are probably only half engaged with them too). The sales professional on the other side of the counter cannot give you stellar service if you are not at least half-participating. Plus - -think - -do you want someone talking directly into your face about something you know nothing about and trying to do your job the best you can.
Answer: Give the phone a rest...focus...and you will pick out the perfect gift on your own. You do not have to phone a friend to make a selection. This activity does distress the other customers, they are too polite to tell you to shut up. I am telling you for them. We are in tight quarters and we know too much about you..and I'm very sorry to tell you, we don't care either !

This is the first in a multi-part series. I can't wait to tell you about how gift giving has morphed...some of it good, some it not so good. Can't wait to tell you about the travelling Barbie conspicuous consumption ( Veblen would be so proud)  trio...just bizarre. !

Overall - -I'm somewhat saddened by Americans and their manners...whether or not is technology enabled. We have a ways to go. Our society is changing now, we have the opportunity to shape it. I suggest that we look to be kinder, more gentle, more yielding and perhaps what you perceive to be poor service is just the reflection of you own communication style.

I look forward to our potential discussions.

The PC: A celebration of technology not a be-all-and-end-all

I do have to comment. This past weekend was the 30th anniversary of the first personal computer. Invented by a 'skunkworks' team at IBM, this demonstrated that amazing things can happen when you have talented people, funding and the ability to make decisions. (Dr. David Bradley was interviewed on NPR)

This invention set our society on a remarkable trajectory that has morphed from a pure office-based-desktop environment to any-place-any-time-any-where.

The anniversay was celebrated in lack luster fashion...but not as the homage to a device. It is more about the progress of invention, not that the PC is another discard of technology. It's rather that it was the path to new and more nible devices that have given us freedom to be virtual and the sentence of being always available.

I believe that we have officially made the transition from fixed-assets to pure information. We can get the information, education, IP and conversation we desire regardless of device.

It is not a pleasant situation to be in as a PC manufacturer. One would hope that they have diversified, extended their portfolios - have tablets in market.

It does show our evolution. We haven't held on to the PC as the only vestage of computing. It's not like our dependency on oil for cars. In a way - it's very cool.

An area of concern would be for those that cannot due to their economic status or financial capabilities make the move; however long term it appears that these devices will cost less and give more people access. It is access that is critical - not the device.

How wonderful - I'm excited to think what the next 30 years will bring...OK - -I'm still holding out for flying cars and Rosie the maid robots. A girl can dream, can't she ?

All my best,

K

Are our computers the real weapons of societal distruction ?

I make my living in technology. I had always seen technology as a catalyst for change and the instrument to make our work easier and ultimately our lives better.

There is another (as there are probably many more) opinions on what technology is doing to us. Or let's pose it differently: how we have embraced technology is detrimental to our society. I know the same argument can be made for drugs, cigarettes, junk food, sex and guns...it's not the  (fill in the blank) that is killing us; it's the people who use it that are. The beloved -- operator error !

I took a recent vacation, where I figuratively 'fell off the grid'. I did this with purpose to 1) see if I could really do it and 2) what impact it was going to have on me.

Here's what happens...Day 1- you are pacing frenetically because you can't change the TV station (no TV), check your Blackberry (I fully grasp why many people call it a 'Crack-berry) and are extremely anxious...There is just fresh air to breathe and it is quiet. What to do with the silence ? It's deafening.

By Day 3, you are starting to smell the fresh air, taste the organic food and sleeping deeper than you have since your last full summer of fun...somewhere north of 12 years old and south of 14 (when you started to care more about what people thought of you and less about having real fun). You start to look at the environment, notice things..literally smell the roses. And,you know, it's fabulous ! The gnawing in your stomach about deadlines starts to erode. You start to laugh, your face looks less constrained and you actually breathe deeper.

Somewhere around Day 5 - you declare that you don't want to go back to the grid. OK - -reality check - -the grid did pay for the tranquility.

You do realize that you may even have free time. There is a consciousness that TV, news, the bustle of commerce has numbed your brain. You start to think that you don't 'need' anything. Hummmm...it's like detoxing from commercialism..

When you return - you are relaxed and fully recharged and in my case, landing in Orlando - immediately overwhelmed with electronic messages, advertising galore and manic movement. The first thing you notice is that as a culture overall (this is solely my observation)...we as Americans are: very loud, fat and rude. It was a stark contrast and it was immediately noticeable.

The conundrum is what to do about this ? It is very, very easy and seductive to go right back to where you left off. Pull the Blackberry out upon landing, dial and declare "I've landed" along with 240 other people ?

I've chosen the less-traveled route and am attempting to take my holiday halo and apply it to my real life. Can I become evolved enough to understand that once again -- technology is a conduit...not a be-all-and-end-all. It  is there because I promote it, it is my job. It does not have to be my life. Matter of fact, I refuse to make it my life.

Here goes....

1- No TV. I did pull out the remote and plug in the final episode of the "Bachelorette"...It struck me as very trite that I consider someone's mating ritual my business, or that I care about these people that I do not even know. How many of you substitute the "housewives of XX", "Survivor", "Big Brother" or any of the reality genre as friends, family and filler? I did...I watched it for 15 minutes and couldn't take it any more. This was drama that I don't need or want in my life. Again, it's quiet.

2- Make my own food - yes, every day. I have a strong need to know what's going into my mouth. Did you know that even Kellogg's Corn Flakes has High Fructose corn syrup in it...for 10 days I ate clean food. I felt good. I don't know if I can go vegetarian, but I can eat healthier.

3- Breathe - Other than that which is require to maintain life, really breathe and do so deeply - feel alive...I've even picked up meditation. It is quite restorative. Who knew ? Oh, many cultures have - -as Americans, we don't know how.

4- I no longer impulse buy. Interesting by-product of not watching TV...you don't feel like you need anything. It becomes very overt how much you are marketed to on a daily basis. I make my living marketing. I love marketing. I also would have an 'need' to fill the artificial void I thought I had (yes, the sentence does read that way). The void was fear of boredom and anxiety - -and it did not require new lip gloss, a meal at Chili's or a new pair of shoes to remedy. I just needed to connect to myself. 

All our messages, portrayal of culture...facades are delivered by technology. This is why we feel bad about ourselves, we can never measure up to the pictures. I have also noticed that I feel really good about myself. I'm on a roll about feeling like I'm on the verge of personal transformation. 

Technology can also be the enabler of the transformation...blogging is vastly therapeutic...technology can give you the opportunity to work any where; it is completely invisible to you where I am. This gives me freedom and latitude to pick where I want to be....hummm...in the midst of this...or in the soothing mountains, by the beach or a combination to match what else I want to accomplish. 

I offer you the opportunity to un-plug for a while and then re-examine what you want to do with technology...Do you want to be controlled by it (not being able to put your mobile device down while out with friends) ?  or...Do you want to control it - create barriers of entry, boundaries ? 

I am choosing the latter. 

This hot summer evening rather than retreat to the sofa and veg-out in front of the TV-- I'm going to call some friends, have some coffee and laugh...I will laugh. And just maybe catch a lightening bug or two, just like I did when I was 12 years old and summer seemed to last forever.  

Wishing you a wonderful summer evening regardless of the season.

K

Water, Water everywhere....

It's quite overwhelming to know that we are all hyper-connected; yet highly disconnected.

It's the virtual version of the old saying.."water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink..." I had a high school teacher tell me that this was about a Portugese explorer off the shore of Brazil (circa 1500) and the ship's crew was delirious and in need of water. The common thought was that because it was ocean, there was no freshwater. The teacher expounded that because of the velocity of the Amazon River, there was indeed freshwater many miles out into the ocean. He gave us the opportunity to express how this worked in our own lives. The class of 1970's teenagers offered no insight...duh...

But today-- it hit me...oh my, here we are with all the connectivity in the world, yet I am increasingly isolated. I work from home for a multi-national corporation. I start my day off speaking with the team in India and progress further west for the course of the day ultimately ending again in Asia at 9 p.m.-ish... I spend my time in conference calls aided with Instant Messanger, e-mail and an assortment of Internet communities and no face-2-face contact with anyone...and sometimes it's days that I don't even leave my house.

Yesterday I went to a special yoga event...called 'Charkras'...yes, there was a tad of the New Age crowd in attendance - but this was very much an individual pursuit. I found out that I have two areas that are all 'blocked'...the first is my throat...my voice...and the second is above my head, the 'white' -- Lotus of a thousand petals - or how I am connected to society...ouch - I have NO white, I'm not connected...

On my voice, it made me realize that I make my living with my voice. It's the corporate version of a 'radio talk' show. I have achieved my own personal celebrity without even knowing it. I host a damn cool conference call - but my own voice is blocked...hummm...appears that I may use it solely for commerce and that I have absolutely nothing left for anyone else....

The white space is the one that got my attention. It's supposed to be your contribution to society and how you relate. Other than my Saturday forays to the Farmer's Market; I have no connection to society. I have put all of my energy in the daily production of my version of the never-ending radio talk show and have nothing left to give...to anyone or anything.

I found this absolutely ridiculous...and truly disturbing. I'm thinking that technology has taken me over to the point that I'm completely socially autistic; metaphorically speaking.

I do not think that I am alone in this observation. I no longer view the telephone as a device of social interaction. It's a chore. When it rings- it's all business and it's never good. I prefer the buffer of the Internet - you can control your reaction in a very prescriptive fashion that I can never really wrangle verbally. I have an occassional stutter that is never evident in the written word, but always seems to manifest itself when I'm stressed or in a defensive posture. The written form is also ageless...you have no idea of how old I am - -you create your own image of me. Again - it's akin to radio...

When I was fresh out of college, I started my career in radio. I have a sultry voice that was further enhanced by cigarette smoking (which I haven't done for a very long time - so don't comment on how gross that is). I found that I had a hard time keeping the show light..reason: I got no feedback. There's an old communications theory that addresses feedback as key to human condition. I did this for about 6 months and ended up quitting... I could not stand being alone for hours on end, working by myself and getting no real feedback....Well - -here I am...the queen of drive-time, midday and afternoon drive time conference calls - there is no back up announcer...! It's all me, all day - -five days...and the topic is pretty consistent day after day. I believe I have ended-up right where I started...The technology sector does pay a lot better than radio.

Which does start at the beginning...I have elected to isolated myself. It's a self-inflicted sentence. I could do a lot to ameliorate my situation. I choose to do otherwise. I am surrounded by opportunity to give to the community, explore new business options, exercise myself and my creativity...yes, there is water everywhere. I think I'll just stop complaining, take some action and just drink the water.

Intentions vs. Resolutions

I heard something yesterday that I believe will resonate with us all better than making New Year's Resolutions. We all know how this plays out...lose weight, exercise, etc....but we never finish, or we're caught up in the maelstrom and just react. What I heard was...."make an intention to do something"...Resolution is so final. I Resolve ! It also sounds somewhat antiquated, like what the heck is Aude Lange Syne all about ?

The person who mentioned it was my Yoga instructor. She's wise beyond her years and has a quirky way about her, quite smart, quick and highly dedicated to her craft (in a very unintimidating way). Her intention was not to get caught in her world's political cross-fire. I thought that very insightful. We all have our own personal political cross-fire, that means better listening, communicating, negotiating and in my world, making sure that your co-workers don't have cutlery pointed for your back.

I'm going to try this one...might not be so popluar - -but as Mr. Ghandi said...'be the change you want in the world'...now, how does that affect the world of technology.

I believe it starts with being aware of your surroundings, trying to connect more with people and less with things - -or using the things as a conduit for being in touch with your surroundings.

Here's the intention and the challenge - -Do you know that Radio Shack and Verizon stores take in old cell phones, refurbish them and distbute them to Women's Shelters ? These are women that do not have instant communication available to them and yes, they need it. When you are being abused, stalked - -a lifeline to '911' is a gift. It is a gift of survival.

I ask that you take your old phones in - -I know I have at least 5 (do you remember the one's with the big brick battery?) - -they take all. Remember we're not innovating, we are supporting. I believe they do not care if there are apps, web browsing, etc. They need to call 911. Get it...

Be intended, use your gadgetry for good...Donate your used mobile phones to help a woman in need.

With best wishes that all your intentions are good !! (OK, a few naughty ones are OK too)
Kit

Have you met a Yogi that was a ragging idiot ?

It hit me whilst in 'down dog' posture (in yoga class) that people who take yoga are generally even tempered...There's a certain level of respect that goes on in a yoga class...1) it's completely non-competitive - -it's about you and your ability..2) there's a ton of breathing that goes with it...it's the breath that gets you into the posture, aids you with sustaining it and perhaps gets you deeper...3) the quiet...you are alone with your thoughts. For some of us, that's a very scary place. There are no distractions, no mobile devices allowed. You spend the duration of class uninterrupted - -completely unaware of what new shade of nail polish is now available, what towels are suddenly on sale for one hour only and that because you are a very special customer that if you order within the allotted time, you will gain Free Shipping...All of which I used to think was true nirvana.

Well - -guess what ? -- It isn't, and all of these needless messages have made me more anxious rather than feeling brilliantly informed.

Yoga should be mandatory for the technology age. It decompresses you, gets you in touch with the inner workings of your body (your personal technology). I think most people can describe and troubleshoot issues with their electronic devices easier than they can describe their feelings or how their body feels (or even more basic, what their body parts are)...hummm... Do you fall into the latter category ? I used to - I decided that if I'm going to make this marathon called life, that I'm going to need to be strong enough to weather it; meaning my physical self (hardware) and my psyche (software) are all going to have to be well maintained and in top working order. Yoga, I have found, is the ultimate diagnostic. It mitigates the outside noise and gives you wonderful focus.

There's nothing new age about it - Yoga's been around for absolutely forever. It has because it works. It's also not a expensive pursuit - -and damn, it feels wonderful. Flexibility and mobility are two things that just improve with practice...oh - here's the baseline - -It is called practice for a reason. You never master it. It is a tool that you can improve with time. Forget about being competitive with 'bendy Barbie' (there's always one in the bunch); here's the one place that doing your best is the right thing and you are rewarded with feeling great.

I use it as my uber-stress reliever. It calms me down, diminishes my anxiety and puts me firmly 'in the now'. I've even gotten bold enough to leave my phone (Blackberry, packing 4 e-mail streams, twitter and the other very, very important communications feeds I require) in the car (notice to criminals, it's under the passenger seat) in off-mode.

This is my New Year's gift to you....try Yoga. If you are completely intimidated by the possibility of doing this...let me know... I have a small but growing group online that I send pose directions and attentions to...sometimes we all need a nudge to get going - -albeit virtual.

All my best and just start with deep breathing for 5 minutes...Can you do that ?
Kit 

Happy New Year and Welcome !

I am thrilled to be here. You have probably noticed that there's a change in how we're doing things these days. I have seen, heard and observed that our society is not so subtly changing. We're absorbed in our personal communicating/entertainment devices and reality entertainment; but are failing to communicate effectively and humanely with one another. I'm calling for an all out push for civility, manners and just basic etiquette. I call it "Etique-geek"...I'm Southern by choice and am dipped in hospitality, conversation and I think, a bit of humor. Most people just want to be treated well. This in my attempt to pull you into "just being nice" and seeing that it can "pay off". Take your iPad (any Apple device), stock your Kindle and your phone and let's have some fun.

All my best, Kit