Every Friday I write about a topic of particular interest to working parents who manage people.
Mobile devices can be a working mother’s best friend or worst enemy. On one hand, having the ability to check email and take business calls from anywhere offers terrific advantages. The flip side is the feeling of always “being on call.” So how can you can the most our of your blackberry, iPhone or Treo without losing our personal space? Here are seven tips for making your mobile device work for, not against, you.
1. Carve out times when you don’t look at your device, but don’t turn it off. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by contact with the office, the temptation is to just switch your phone off. Pitfalls here include forgetting to turn it back on, and missing a true emergency. Better to carve out times — from 6-8pm say — when you put the phone away and focus 100% on your child(ren). Let your supervisor know that you will be out of commission during those hours, but that you will check in at 8:15pm. There is almost nothing that can’t wait 1-2 hours for response.
2. Don’t expect others to be “on call.” Because many working parents are on a slightly later schedule than their employees, they tend to send email at all hours of the day and night. While this seems convenient, employees are more likely to act on email when they receive it during business hours. Furthermore, getting non-urgent email on personal time may seem like an imposition. You can draft emails when you have time, but unless it’s an emergency, wait to hit send until the morning.
3. Re-read emails that you receive on your mobile device on screen. There are two good reasons to do this periodically: first, emails received on a smartphone during evening hours are prone to getting “lost.” They are read, but because it isn’t during office hours, you can’t act on them. Second, emails (especially if they are lengthy) frequently look different and are easier to read on screen. It’s worth making sure that you didn’t miss anything on the first read.
4. Make sure to sync with your system regularly. There’s nothing more frustrating and confusing than having two different calendars or different sets of contact information in two places. Wireless syncing can be a convenient option.
5. Be thoughtful about who does and doesn’t need a mobile device. Not everyone needs a phone paid for on your budget; many jobs are 9-5pm and don’t require regular contact. On the other hand, some employees may resist getting a mobile device. Don’t let an employee tell you that they don’t or won’t use the technology; in today’s world everyone should be comfortable using a cell phone with email. If you feel strongly, it’s perfectly acceptable to insist that your staff have and use mobile devices.
6. Don’t worry about your employees making personal calls on company phones. Costs associated with this are usually negligible on company plans, and it’s nit-picky to worry about it unless you see the expenses truly mounting. If it makes you (or your company) more comfortable, you can tax the phone as a “perk,” which assumes and accepts that employees will use their mobile devices for some personal communication. The cost is very low per month compared with an employee maintaining his or her own cell phone.
7. Choose a well-reviewed device and reliable provider. Don’t just pick the cheapest option; do some research to find the best-reviewed operator at the best price. Mobile devices that don’t work or can’t pick up a signal are a waste of time and money, and cause extra aggravation that working parents don’t need!
Related links:
- Dan Taylor at TSheets writes about how smartphones can help your business and increase productivity.
- The Working and Parenting blog writes about helpful gadgets for the working parent.
- Businessweek’s Working Parents blog asks Technology: Friend or Foe of the Working Parent?
