By Barry Stern, Ph.D.
The late comedian George Carlin claimed that all he really wanted in life was a place for his “stuff”. To Carlin, our homes are mainly places to keep our stuff and most of our extra-home activities merely opportunities to get more stuff. I have developed over the years acute “stuff-radar.” It kicks into high gear with new folks I meet and happens with a few stolen glances. The 10 copies of a book that occupy the top shelf of an executives’ bookcase, the Middle Eastern décor of the New York City sales leader, the hiker attire of the senior food exec—these all accelerate my Holmesian mission to establish professional intimacy and, ultimately impact, fast.
Now, nearly every aspect of human resources has a technological backbone. As the scope gets larger, our view into the realities of our associates and their “stuff,” dims exponentially. We run the risk of further alienating our already disengaged workforces. Ask yourself:
- Despite the “coolness factor” associated with technology, what steps is your company really taking to use technology to drive employee engagement? Are you even thinking in those terms? And what are you doing especially to address the younger workforce so pinned to their phones and text messages?
- What advances has your company made in deepening the organizational understanding and implications of virtual learning or meeting environments? What have you done to compensate for the missing elements of face-to-face connections?
The promise of technology is to create both deeper employee intimacy and engagement while driving greater efficiency and profit. Only through addressing these types of questions in a fearless way, will that promise be realized.
Barry Stern is vice president, Consulting Services and Delivery for Development Dimensions International (DDI). Follow him on Twitter.


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