Do you feel better because you are always "plugged in" or have more stress because you are?

When was the last time you;

Arranged a meeting outside your office

Picked up the phone to talk to someone instead of sending an email

Gave your fingers a "rest" from texting

Hand wrote a letter

Turned off the Smart Phone on the weekend

Took time out for your-self to recharge

Exercised, did yoga, meditated or read a book?

Yes using technology is a necessity for survival and economic growth in today’s world without borders. The challenge as Jerry Bridge of LifeWorks Education said is:

"…to learn how to use the technology we have invented rather than allow it to use us, so that it improves our human connections and does not replace them."

Remember those human connections when we used to shake hands and meet people, talk on the phone, write letters, go to trade shows and conventions – today it is all about being LinkedIn, Blogged, Tweeted, Meeting On Line, Skypeing, and being tied to the Internet! I yearn for the days when phone calls were private –now everywhere I go I am bombarded with people’s conversations on their blue tooth enabled phone that I have no interest in hearing and topics that should not be shared in public. Put them behind the wheel of a car, and now you have a one-handed driver distracted by a phone conversation, when they should be focused on the road and drivers around them.

Today’s generation has evolved to have the fastest fingers on a mini key board, but they are challenged when it comes to composing a letter or holding a conversation! As a Father of Gen X children, I am a prisoner of unanswered phone calls, but text messages keep me in-touch with loved ones through their chosen communication medium. Although this fills my glass half full, I miss the sound of their voices. Texts and emails can be so bland and one dimensional, while in a conversation you can detect subtleties, emotions and laugh together – replacing them with LOL and OMG is just not the same!

The same applies to business, where the email has become the standard with its own lexicography and rules. Be careful not to CAPITALIZE words though or you could be unintentionally (or intentionally) sending a message you would think second about doing in person. The thoughtful writer puts that difficult email into their Draft folder, and reviews it the next day to make sure it communicates the desired message. Unless it is critical it can wait 24 hours, because as we all know once you push the Send button you cannot pull it back! Some of the most admired and successful companies today - SouthWest Airlines is the first one that comes to mind- have instilled a culture that combines the various techno mediums with human touch to make the individual feel special and valued. If you really want to "WOW someone", send them a hand written note to say Thank You for their time, hospitality or business, and renew that human connection!

So share with us when was the last time you;

Arranged a meeting outside your office

Picked up the phone to talk to someone instead of sending an email

Gave your fingers a "rest" from texting

Hand wrote a letter

Turned off the Smart Phone on the weekend

Took time out for your-self to recharge

Exercised, did yoga, meditated or read a book?

This article is intended for informational purposes only. Gatekeeper Business Solutions, Inc., nor Peter Dehlinger, accepts liability for the content of this article, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.