The New Old School

This story was authored by a friend who graciously allowed me to post it here. I’ve recently changed my beliefs about work and technology tools (think BlackBerry and PowerPoint), and now believe that their usage needs to be limited in order to develop customer relationships that result in more sales. I’m calling this approach the “New Old School” whereby we learn from our elders on relationship skills. Hopefully sharing it here will benefit you as much as it has me. Like many of you, I’ve always considered myself a technology person. I had one of the first IBM home computers growing up (my father had to take a loan to pay for it) and was one of first to have a laptop and e-mail address. I’m the person family calls for tech support…maybe you can relate? And, this attitude of being a technology leader rolled naturally into my career in high-tech. As a person approaching my mid 30’s, I’ve had the unique opportunity to observe two very different generations at work. Let’s classify these two generations as 50’s and up (usually senior management) and between 38 and 50 years old (usually mid-management). Let me clarify here that this is not an age discrimination thing! I believe age is a state of mind and I’m using age ranges simply to illustrate a point. I will confess here that I have privately made fun of the old school guys in their 50’s and up. I can remember my first trip with the CEO of a past company who didn’t travel with a laptop, did not have a BlackBerry and printed out his airline instructions. I assumed his behavior was purely a relic of the past and that the many mid-managers between me and the CEO who were embracing technology were the future. But, what I’ve come to realize after spending more time with the older C-level crowd is that these folks, who I once thought of as old school, are the best at developing relationships. They have realized that technology tools in the workplace often are a distraction with customer interaction. So, if you think they are technology laggards and relics of the past you are sorely mistaken. I know I was. We’ve become so obsessed with our laptops, BlackBerries, Instant Messaging and PowerPoint that many of us have lost the art of personal relationships. Read the book the World is Flat by Friedman and tell me that our value in the new economy isn’t about quality of relationship development over quantity of e-mails generated. If you want shear quantity, a PhD in India will do it for ¼ the price and probably better. We all hate it yet most of us abuse technology. When is the last time you had a meeting without PowerPoint slides, a BlackBerry or mobile phone? We often hide behind these technology crutches to purely repeat information off a slide instead of stopping to understand what real problems our customer and partners are experiencing. With this said, obviously the best combination is being technically astute without ever compromising your relationship building skills. But, we’ve erred too far on the side of technology and we need to reclaim our lives. So, here are my personal pledges that may give you some ideas- 1. There is something about the morning time. Ever notice how the older generation enjoys their mornings? I’m going to get up early and reclaim the morning before plugging-in and starting the craziness of the day. I’m going to read the paper, write, plan out the day or perhaps read a classic book by Dale Carnegie (more on Dale later). The morning time is going to be my time again. 2. When visiting a customer, I’m not going to bring a laptop or BlackBerry; they are staying in the car or at home. Here’s what I’ve learned, if you don’t know what you are talking about well enough to do it without slides, you are just regurgitating information. My time with customers and partners will be uninterrupted and will use natural ways of communicating…not slides. 3. I’m going to start admitting once a day that I don’t know something. I’ve been in meetings where a new term will be used and nobody asks what it means. Ever notice many of the older generation folks aren’t afraid to ask: What the hell you are talking about? I’m going to stop acting like I know every technology term and when it’s worth my time to know it I am going to ask: What the hell you are talking about and why does it matter? 4. Speaking of why it matters, I’m going to ask why a lot more. I’ve noticed that good relationship people ask why a lot. If someone tries to stump me with a technology question I’m going to say “I don’t know what that means (see #3) but why do you want to know that?” With all the information available someone in the room will always know more than me. I am going to stop killing myself pretending to know more than the customer and instead will ask “why do you want to know this” and “why will this help you?” 5. I’m going to turn off my phone and shut down my e-mail for at least an hour during every workday to focus on important tasks. I’ve already been amazed at how much more productive I am. I’ve also been surprised how much this throws off my colleagues. It’s pure liberation. 6. Lastly, I’m going to send a handwritten note to someone every month. Have you gotten a handwritten note lately? Probably not, yet I bet you can remember the last one you did receive. My last one came from an old boss and I can almost tell you every word from memory and know exactly where it is at now. How many e-mails can you say that about? Handwriting is a lost art and it’s the essence of personal communication and relationships. Here is what I believe you will find without the distractions and crutches of modern technology - you will become a better customer relationship manager and will gain more business as a result. I mentioned Dale Carnegie before and I’m rededicating myself to study “How to Win Friends and Influence People” more often. I’m convinced the only way to do the things Carnegie talks about is by removing technology distractions. The next time you get a chance, thank an old-school person for the education…they offer a lot to learn. -JR note from galt: There are good management lessons to be learned here. The qualities of relationship building, listening, taking valuable lessons from others, and learning to ask why are all key to building your management skills and interacting with customers, peers, bosses, and subordinates. If you wish to contact the original author, please send me an email (can be found on Contact page) and I will forward it on.