New Technology
By Peter Switzer
(continued)
Good dog, Peter!
On one occasion, my assistant read a sentence, which had the term GDP or gross domestic production in it. When the copytaker couldn’t hear what letters she was saying, she distinguished each letter by attaching a word to it and said: “That’s G for good, D for dog and P for Peter.” That’s the way it went out in my column in a major newspaper! It had GDP, and next to it in brackets read (Good Dog, Peter)! Imagine my horror when I read this mistake the next day in the newspaper!
Nowadays email permits my exact copy to arrive at newspapers and I can be asked to write a piece 50 minutes before deadline and I can usually make it.
A few years ago when I was travelling by car around the Australian countryside (the bush but not quite the outback!), I told the driver, a senior executive with the company, that I wasn’t looking forward to battling the motel’s technology when I got to the town.
He told me I should have a data card that would have made my laptop independent of old motel technology. Of course I should, I thought, here was another new trick or development in technology that I needed to adopt.
Innovations on soul
I saw the movie ‘Ray’ recently. It was the life story of Ray Charles. I finished the film inspired because despite having to battle his own demons, Ray Charles was always looking for ways to innovate on his music. He always kept himself open to new ways to produce and play music better. He kept people around him who could help him adapt these new ways. He called it “innovations on soul” – and adopting these innovations helped his business flourish.
Reflecting on how I’d been too slow to act on new technology, I resolved to search for a ‘partner’ to my business — an expert who had the time to analyse my needs and evaluate what new technology was available. I then could do a cost-benefit analysis to see what I really needed to give my media and publishing business an edge.
You can’t let excuses such as being time poor allow you to be left at the bus stop of the information super highway. I know it’s an oldie, but it’s a goodie.
Lessons
- Take time out to look around and discover time saving ways to improve your business efficiency.
- If you can’t spare the time, find someone who can explain what developments in technology can assist you in your business. Pay for this advice if you must.
- Always keep yourself open to new tricks.
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