Newsletter September 2000B

THE DISAPPEARING PAST: A New Slant on E-Mail

The days of computerization are here to stay. As we speak, history is being created and destroyed at the same time. Last year, more emails were "mailed" than letters by the US Postal Service. Incredible! We have again become a nation of writers. (How well we write is another story.) We all can postulate that this e-mail "stuff" will soon come to an end when we can video-send our messages to the next party, friend, relative or colleague. For the moment, picture this: you sit at a screen and type away thoughts and ideas that are sent as e-mails or filed as personal items, ranging from your birth certificate to family recipes and love letters. And then….it crashes. We all know the value of a backup, but things can still go wrong. Years ago, in a different company, we lost a drive, forever banishing our information, our past, to the black hole of computer crashes. The server took us down for 2 1/2 weeks … the backups were bad and tens of thousands of dollars later, we were up and running. A second information tragedy occurred when a local computer company, while servicing our computer, accidentally wiped our drive clean…. 2 years worth of artwork gone. Backups generally work, but not always. What will the future look like in 50 years?

Most people do not save e-mails in little boxes around the house. I have yet to meet a person who prints out every function performed on their computer(s). We are now accustomed to cheap storage, but are we losing history? The past was full of business cards that said DI-4563 or had party-line numbers. The scraps you found when cleaning out a closet, like notes or letters to loved ones, could consume an afternoon with reading and reminiscing. Those articles now remain hidden in a computer. Many of us use organizational software packages, such as Goldmine Software or ACT. We get a business card and either type it or scan it in with Card Scan. Then, we enter notes about the individual and toss the card in the trash. Data is stored digitally. Think back to when we would get savings account books from our banks when we'd open an account. Make a deposit or withdrawal, and watch the teller punch the book with the amounts. We were so much more physically involved with the process than we are today. Now, those transactions are just a slip of digital output. You have to remember your account number to know if it was your deposit.

How are we to record this generation's work? How are we to record our future if it's all digital? I have no answers, only questions. Maybe sending a greeting card that requires postage would be a new twist to the technology. Don't get me wrong. I love the digital age. I sit with a sophisticated voice mail system, a Plantronics ear piece, Zip drive, CD, readwrite CD, Card Scan, Intranet and a server.

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WHY BE A MEMBER: Offer Your Skills

Brian Tracy tells a story of how he became a master salesperson by explaining how he joined various local organizations, volunteered for the most unwanted job and did that job to the best of his ability. This in turn created an image of Brian as the man who gets things done. He was recognized and then asked to help on a state wide committee. Duplicating his process again, he worked as hard as he could to do the best job he could realizing that again other business owners, politicians and leaders were watching. His plan succeeded. The calls came from national offices and to do business with his peers

Today we spend a lot of time on the job doing tasks and hoping for success. We join various organizations, attend very few functions, and we expect our careers to flourish. Steven Covey's "Sharpen the Saw" talks about the need for us to continue our education. Major companies such as HP, Carrier, Cisco and others are all looking for MBA's and are offering almost a 70% increase in pay for the piece of paper over a BA or BS.

The combination of the two means that we must educate ourselves while at the same time participate in the process. In the past 2 weeks there have been 3 opportunities (for education, networking and growth) that I have attended. In two organizational meetings there were 12 members at one and around 20 at the other. The last had 50 people. The surprising fact was that in the 3 groups combined, there were over 700 members. No one shows. At the same time, when one views a resume, the fact that they are members is clearly stated and even applauded.

At one meeting in NYC, only 12 people attended to hear Jeff Herman, one of the most well known literary agents in the country with over 450 books published, speak about agents and publishing. One of the other meetings, for ACM, had 50 members hear about future offices in the medical industry and trends happening throughout "office automation." The speakers were from Welch Allyn, a diverse firm that works with everything from the instruments in hospitals to the over 30,000 FedEx drivers carrying their hand held scanners. They had a lot to offer the members of the audience, yet a small percentage of the total group came to the meeting.

Here are a few tips to get the most bang for your buck when joining organizations:

1. Go to the events!!!

2. Take notes to stimulate thought.

3. See how the information may somehow apply to you now or in the future. It may help your next job or assist you in business years from now.

4. Greet others in the group. The more you show, the more people want to meet you.

5. Volunteer for a committee.

6. Lead a committee.

7. Do an outstanding job when you participate...(That's the reason you joined: to do business with others. The best way to create this environment is to show them "what you're made of." when they are not in a buyer/seller position.

8. Join organizations not in your field. ACM is an IT association.

9. Create a method of keeping in touch with the contacts you make. (Newsletters, announcements, cards, call and go out to lunch without a sale in mind)

Remember, to "Sharpen Your Saw" throughout the time that you allot to organizations and through continuous educational activities so that you can use those skills to create a better environment for yourself and others. Organizations consist of people with common or complementary goals. Your talents and skills help to promote you, and in return you get what you desired and what organizations are created to promote.

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David & Lorrie Goldsmith are founders of the Syracuse based MetaMatrix Consulting Group Inc. Their firm specializes in consulting and speaking services. They can be reached at 315-476-0510  888-777-8857 or emailed at dgoldsmith@davidgoldsmith.com

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