Technology and Working Styles

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. ~ Arthur C. Clarke

Remember when Flash Drives were the latest cool gadget? Thanks to Cloud Computing, they may soon become obsolete, as more and more data becomes available online via the Internet. (A flash drive is the stick you insert into the side of your computer, or, to quote the movie Date Night, it’s a computer sticky thing.)

Technology progresses at an impressive rate, with the amount of new information doubling every two years. Blink, and you’re left behind. Take a year off work to have a baby and when you come back they are using different software. Become a stay-at-home mum and, before you know it, your child’s school project involves technology you’ve only ever heard of.

Just as an example, a project my 8-year old did at school had the option to present the research in Power Point form or as a phone app. And while some colleges ban mobile phones, others (Albany Senior High) embrace them as a fun learning tool. Well done, those schools, for keeping up with leading-edge technology, but I can’t help wondering: what’s next? Roll-up computers? Internet implants?

We can’t predict the future. What we can do, is keep up with the present. Hoe well you do it depends on your working style. Are you good at playing catch-up with technology? Find out.