You Might Be A Tech Addict If ...

If you're feeling a bit too disconnected from the real world thanks to all of this wonderful technology we've surrounded ourselves with, you're certainly not alone. According to John O'Neill, director of social work at the Menninger Clinic in Houston, these are the warning signs that you have an addiction to technology:

1.You become upset or angry when you lose your cell or Internet connection.

2. You lose track of time when you're online; minutes stretch into hours.

3. Talking on your cell phone, checking email, or surfing the Web takes the place of physically spending time with family and friends.

4.You start and end your day checking email, chatting, etc., rather than really relating to others.

5. You travel and even vacation with all of your communication devices.

There's an old saying: everything in moderation. It sure applies here! So, take a walk. Turn off the cell & TV. Go to the beach. Visit an old friend. Read a book or magazine. Tune out for a while.

But please, come back to this blog! ;-)

More Creativity Killers

I just finished one of the better business books I've read in quite some time. Pushing the Envelope: All The Way To The Top was written by Harvey Mackay, the founder & Chairman of Mackay Envelope Company. The title is a bit of wordplay, because it's not really about how to sell or "push" an envelope. Rather, it's about trying to surpass limits, going to the edge - all those cliches we think of whether we're talking about airplane test pilots or salespeople developing their skills to be more successful. The book is full of advice on hiring, motivating, training, producing, selling, and negotiating in business, that could just as easily be adapted for life in general.

Mackay really resonated with me in listing "creativity killers", the phrases one hears (or says) in business or other endeavors in life that dampen one's spirits and hinder progress. You know what I'm talking about: "That's against policy", "We tried that before and it didn't work", "The competition does it that way" ... you get the idea. I thought of a few more I've heard over the years: "That's just how we do things here", "Oh well, you know (insert your organization's name here)", "The system already works pretty well", and "(insert person's name) is the only person who can do this", and "It's not a priority". I try my best not to buy into that line of thinking.

Harvey Mackay's Website

GEICO's Cavemen: Their 15 Minutes Are Not Up

I've been amused by those GEICO TV ads featuring the "cavemen" since the first one, "Apology", premiered back in 2004. Roast duck with mango salsa, anyone? More ads have followed, as well as print ads & direct mail. And, one of them was in a series of pieces with Phil Simms in the Super Bowl pre-game show this year. Today, I read this in the trades:

Winner for most unusual piece of development this pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project."Cavemen" will revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta. Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials (think the cockney-speaking Geico gecko, and the reality TV spoof "Tiny House").

I love my industry.