{"id":551680,"date":"2007-03-02T07:04:44","date_gmt":"2007-03-02T07:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8888\/wordpress\/technology\/551680-tormented-talent.html"},"modified":"2007-03-02T07:04:44","modified_gmt":"2007-03-02T07:04:44","slug":"tormented-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/technology\/551680-tormented-talent.html","title":{"rendered":"Tormented talent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contrary to the assumption that constant exposure to all sources of information is a \u201cgood thing\u201d, the intrusion of modern technology is proving a mixed blessing. <\/font><\/p>\n

A report by the international Deloitte consultancy group says that while technology can provide a 24-hour supply of information, its intrusiveness also prevents workers from concentrating. \u201cOne study . found that the average employee switches tasks every three minutes, is interrupted every two minutes, and has a maximum attention span of 12 minutes.\u201d <\/font><\/p>\n

A recent UK study declared that \u201cthe relentless influx of e-mails, phone calls and instant messages received by modern workers can reduce their IQs more than smoking marijuana\u201d. The study found that men are twice as prone to distraction as women. <\/font><\/p>\n

The Deloitte report, \u201cConnecting people to what matters\u201d, says modern companies are so besotted with \u201cefficient\u201d technology and workplace theories that they risk alienating the asset that ultimately determines business success or failure: their employees. <\/font><\/p>\n

Relationships, more than business goals and the provision of work tools, are what motivate employees, says the report. To produce their best work, they need to feel \u201cconnected\u201d to the company. \u201cAmong factors in managing talent, \u2018connect\u2019 is emerging as the most important in today\u2019s competitive environment,\u201d says Deloitte. \u201cIt is also the aspect of talent management that is least understood and managed.\u201d <\/font><\/p>\n

Market research in the US shows that the reason given by most people for leaving their jobs is that they don\u2019t feel appreciated. \u201cRelationships fuel the emotional bonds that tie people to an organisation,\u201d says the report. \u201cTheir relationships also inspire them to give extra effort \u2014 or not. As the saying goes, people don\u2019t leave their jobs, they leave their bosses and coworkers.\u201d <\/font><\/p>\n

Belinda Knight, CEO of the Johannesburg-based Graduate Institute of Management & Technology, isn\u2019t convinced. It\u2019s human nature to deny responsibility for failure, she says. \u201cIf you don\u2019t make a success of your job, you often feel you have to blame someone, so you blame the boss.\u201d <\/font><\/p>\n

However David Conradie of Deloitte SA says the relationship between employee and manager is very important. \u201cIt\u2019s the differentiator between good and bad companies, between wanting to give your best, and not.\u201d <\/font><\/p>\n

Knight, though, agrees that SA employers, like those overseas, underestimate the importance of personal relationships. \u201cThe first line of communication today is e-mail. It should be face-to-face,\u201d she says. According to Deloitte, over 70% of what people know about their jobs is learnt through interactions with colleagues. They will go to a file or database only if they can\u2019t learn what they need from another person. \u201cThe vast majority of knowledge resides in people\u2019s heads, not in an organisation\u2019s databases,\u201d says Deloitte. <\/font><\/p>\n

If interpersonal relationships are secure, employees are more likely to feel a positive relationship with the company. This sense can be heightened by ensuring that employees\u2019 work is motivating, that they have a clear view of the organisation\u2019s strategic mission, and that they understand how their individual effort fits into that mission. <\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cOrganisations that tap people\u2019s hearts, as well as their heads and hands, reap benefits because they inspire people\u2019s discretionary efforts,\u201d says the report. \u201cYet the majority of people around the world are disengaged in their jobs. They show up, do what\u2019s expected of them but don\u2019t go the extra mile.\u201d <\/font><\/p>\n

Conradie says that in SA as well, many companies do not understand the need for a \u201cclutter-free\u201d environment. Noise, information overload and endless \u2014 often unnecessary \u2014 meetings all disrupt efficiency. A number of studies show marked productivity leaps when people are allowed distraction-free time and space to do their job.<\/font><\/p>\n

Comments<\/a><\/p>\n

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The cacophony of distractions in the modern workplace \u2014 including cellphones, e-mails and assorted interruptions \u2014 is \u201cdumbing down\u201d employees and reducing their ability to do their job. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_facebook_post_id":"","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_threads_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-551680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551680"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551680\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=551680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=551680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}