Now I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that cell phones do have a value. They enable us to be safe, to keep in touch as never before and if used right I'm sure they could improve productivity. But ... it just ain't workin' out that way. I go in the grocery store and have to work around people trying to do the self check out while talking on their cell phones, oblivious to those around them. Come on!
I'm out walking the public walkways and out in the nice quiet I meet people talking away on their cells.
I was presenting a seminar for a company a couple years back and of the twenty five folks in the room twenty of them were on their laptops and cell phones doing supposedly work during my first 30 minutes of presenting. Then I looked in the back of the room and my host, the guy who hired me to do this, was on his phone. I stopped the meeting and told them to take five and walked outside with my host. I told him the issue and he said, "Well they have to be in touch with our customers all the time. I'm teaching them that."
I said, "You do realize that none of your are that important don't you? You need to make this important or their calls are important but not both at the same time. They need to turn off the laptops and phones and participate or go back to work." He did the right thing and told them to turn them off for four hours and they weren't happy.
Notice if you go to the mall how many people are talking on their phones ignoring the real people next to them. In church our leaders have to take the kids cell phones when they come to youth activities. Its sad for sure.
From a leadership point of view cell phones are the most 'dis' empowering devices ever invented. Years ago before pagers and cell phones when the boss left he HAD to place someone in charge and see how they did because he was truly going to be out of touch for a little while. When you went on vacation you placed someone in charge while you were gone. Now? Call me if anything happens. Call me if you need to know what to do.
Somehow cell phones have made everyone so important they just have to stay connected. What's the worst that's going to happen someone will actually make a decision in your absence. We're not that important to have to stay in touch every single minute. I guess in the end it's like the Internet ... some things are wonderful and astounding and others are really bad.
But at least give it up in church, in the line at stores, and in the line waiting to get off the plane (we know you're not that important) and take your ear buds out when you're walking around in public - I mean ...
