Lots has been written and said about employee productivity and employees feeling stressed out as a result of the challenges they are facing while acclimatizing to the completely changed world of work. Some people have found it tougher than others in bringing the remote working or for that matter the hybrid working model into their stride. All that talk of burnout and stress comes with suggestions to overcome those challenges as well. However, lots of times, those suggestions are neither too kind, nor too easy to implement. And other suggestions that most people are turning to have a common string that makes them more relatable and easily accessible. Most of those who are finding it hard to cope with the new challenges and be productive at the same time are turning to technology for help.
Technology is central to almost everything that people do in their personal as well as professional lives. It makes things easier and helps in making the most of the available time. It also gives people all the information they need to make better decisions. Having said all that, it is still not advisable for people to use technology all the time. Maintaining too close a relationship with technology might hamper employee productivity and affect mental health at the same time. This is why experts in the field are calling out for a more judicious use of technology.
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There are hundreds of reasons why it is important to take frequent breaks from using technology. Keeping smartphones and other devices at a distance for a while and focusing on other important things like your family can help you not only realize the value of technology but also give due time to those who deserve it the most. And the regular “technology detox”, as it is often referred to, doesn’t really work anymore.
It is almost impossible for people to completely stop using their smartphones or laptops or other technology-enabled tools and devices. Setting unrealistic expectations will do more harm than good to the endeavour of spending some time away from technology and with people. And there is no point in completely boycotting the use of technology. The need is just to regulate its use so that there is enough time left for people to focus on themselves and other important people and things.
People who spend most of their time working on their phones and computers have to make a few rules to limit the time they spend with devices. Even if they truly love their tech time, they need to realize that too much time could possibly spoil their relationship with technology. To maintain a healthy relationship, all they need to do is take some time off and do different things.
As already mentioned, technology has been the saviour of sorts for everyone, especially employees during and post pandemic. It has not only motivated them to stay honest to their profession but also helped them in maintaining productivity at a time when everything seemed lost. Organizations have technology to thank for helping them maintain employee productivity during arguably the most testing times for the business world in the last few decades or so.
People need to take a few necessary steps to not let this relationship with technology ruin their professional and personal lives. First of all, they should stop using technology when they are having food. This isn’t just for home but for the workplace as well. Some things make more sense and lead to better results when they are done separately. Eating and working are just two of those things. Many people use their phones during meals. Even if they are checking their social media or playing online games, it would still not make any sense.
Organizations should ask their employees to take some time off for themselves more often. That would help them ensure employee productivity, no matter if they are working from home or office. There are people who work all the time, even on the weekends. For them, their work schedule is the only calendar they have to follow. Being honest towards your work and having no time left for themselves and their families are two different things. If there is something on the work calendar, it should get done within the stipulated time. However, there should also be another calendar that features time periods where employees are away from their work and with what they like to do or spend time with.
To maintain a healthy relationship with technology, people should start using it more for fun. Using it all the time for work related things may make them get bored of it. What they should do to not let this happen is use technology for playing games, watching movies, listening to music, reading books, talking to friends, and other things. And as most employees work from home, they have to make the best use of available resources to not feel bored or not have the situation affect their mental and emotional health.
Organizations that want higher levels of employee productivity, no matter where their employees are working from, should invest more time and money in helping their employees develop a better relationship with technology. That’s not it, employees should also take the lead and control their technology urge and show everyone around how rewarding it is to step away from technology every now and then.
It is important to understand for organizations as well as employees that technology will only have a bigger part to play in professional as well as personal lives in the future. What needs to be done is save employees from frustration that is borne out of excessive use of technology. Organizations should make the rules and ensure that employees follow them. This will help both employees and organizations to make the best use of technology.
Reference: Employee Productivity Means Having a Healthy Relationship with Technology | HR Bartender | July 18, 2021
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