Too Much Facebook, Too Little Face Time

The Seattle Times ran an interesting editorial several weeks ago, titled "Too Much Facebook, Too Little Face Time," about the latest issues around technology. I know you’ve heard them all by now, but it posits that technology "threatens to infiltrate our lives to the brink of being too much.” The interesting premise the paper discusses is what does the too-much-screen-time not enough face-time do to personal interactions? And, the natural next question is with everyone emailing and texting everyone, what’s happening to our relationships with colleagues and customers? A response to this came from several of our clients. They said it is wreaking havoc in the workplace—morale issues popping up, non-existent team building, problems simmering, and initiatives delayed.



So in response, my clients are instituting email free days, three-email limit (After that limit, person must pick up the phone or walk down the hall to resolve the issue), scheduled face-to-face meetings, deleting email more than two-weeks old. Some are drastic, some are practical, and others may improve productivity as well as the workplace climate. What are you doing at your work site? We are all looking for answers!