BizCulture

Has the Internet Made us Dumber?

Stephen Bouikidis — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:15:24 +0000

Many of us use Google to find all kinds of information. This, on face value, seems to be a good thing. Access to knowledge is powerful and makes you smarter, right? Not according to Nicholas Carr’s article in the July/August 2008 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” In the article, the author states the following, “the internet is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation.” He notes that we lose the ability to concentrate and focus on one thing, and our attention is easily diverted. Deep contemplative thought is being lost. Recent research points to these diversions and lack of attention/focus as a key factor in our lack of comprehension. We multitask, check email, hold a conversation, write an email…all at the same time.

As a followup to The Atlantic Monthly article, Nicholas Carr, reviewed the research and references the findings in an article for The Wall Street Journal titled, “Does the Internet Make You Dumber?“. The research points out that as we use new media/the internet we develop “”new weaknesses in higher-order cognitive processes,” including “abstract vocabulary, mindfulness, reflection, inductive problem solving, critical thinking, and imagination.” We’re becoming, in a word, shallower.”

Share your thoughts…

PR is the Cheapest form of Promotion…or is it?

Stephen Bouikidis — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:32:18 +0000

I was at a recent board meeting and we were discussing the use of PR in the marketing effort. One of the board members, who ran a very successful agency pointed out that “PR can be the most inexpensive way to market an organization. It can also be the most expensive way to market an organization if done wrong.”

This really struck a chord with me. Over the years, I have seen well-implemented PR do wonders for my clients. I didn’t pay much attention to the times when it did not work for them. When looking at the failures, my colleague was right. When the PR effort failed, it almost totally failed. I’ve conducted marketing efforts–direct mail, email marketing, advertising, paid search–and did see at least some positive results from them. However, PR, when not implemented well, often yields no positive results.

Tell us about your experiences…

Phone phobia…the death of conversation

Stephen Bouikidis — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:21:13 +0000

I’ve noticed something quite interesting over the past year–the drastic reduction of phone messages at the office. It was a slow and subtle reduction, thus almost unnoticed. The thing that called my attention to this was several calls that were either returned by email, or not returned at all. And, from colleagues and friends who usually call back promptly.

Take a look around. Kids love to text these days. We email and communicate via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. And, we’ve finally got Chat Roulette…the epitome of alienation…who you gonna call?

All things that my colleagues and I predicted 20 years ago. We are getting wrapped up in technology and losing touch…losing the ability to write…and eventually losing the ability to have in-person conversations. What do you think?

Where has common courtesy gone?

Stephen Bouikidis — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:51:52 +0000

The business I’m in is a relationship business. Great projects come out of respect and courtesy. I’ve recently see this change–and not in a good way. When I send an estimate to a potential client, I often note the estimate as a DRAFT for DISCUSSION if they don’t have a sense of what their budget is. I also note that this is a starting point for a discussion and that the scope and price can move one direction or another.

Clients typically find this a good way to discuss new projects. However, recently, I’ve noticed that people are not as open to having those discussions as they used to be. They are quick to go for low price, and to not get back to you.

I’ve had the opportunity to circle back to some of these potential clients and have a discussion, where we ended up working out an approach that worked for them…and for me.

I’d like to hear if you’ve had similar experiences. Please comment

Dealing with lawyers…and contracts

Stephen Bouikidis — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:58:56 +0000

A good buddy of mine was in conversation with attorneys about a contract that was heavily in favor of the company he was doing business with. We discussed how to approach the contract and what to say when talking to the attorneys. Find out where we came out…see my comment!

How to create engaging conversations…listening and improv

Stephen Bouikidis — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:47:32 +0000

How many times do you have the same conversations with colleagues and co-workers and get nowhere? How many times do you hear the same industry buzz words? It’s almost like you hear the same thing over and over again from many people. Everybody starts to sound the same. The key to creating conversations is to practice the skill of improvisation…see my comment for more

Doing business while on the road

Stephen Bouikidis — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:40:09 +0000

I’ve been traveling a bit lately and have a wealth of tools at my disposal. This is a great way to keep business moving. It also keeps me productive while out of the office.

For me, it took me a while before I got my SmartPhone PDA. I was very resistant because I didn’t want to be tied to technology at all times. When it came time to take a two week vacation, I had to make the move. And, it was a good decision. I was able to keep track of ongoing projects, respond to clients and also enjoy my vacation. I returned to the office refreshed and I even closed a couple of deals while I was gone.

Let me know your experience with the virtual office…

Inertia has set in…

Stephen Bouikidis — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:20:36 +0000

I was sitting in a meeting today discussing a new project. The meeting lasted a good hour and a half. At the end of the meeting, we had clear information on the project, a deadline and a general sense that we were all on the same page. This is not how all meetings go. I’ve been in many meetings that go no where, create confusion and you are left where you began–in other words an experience of inertia. See my comment (following) for more…