Managing Oneself in Digital Age - Better

Thanks for viewing and appreciating my introduction post.  Today's post will talk about 'Managing oneself in digital age - Better'

Peter Drucker discussed deeply about the need to manage oneself for knowledge workers in 21st century[1]. He addressed it to the all kinds of knowledge workers primarily however I believe with hindsight that it is applicable for each and every human being who may be working or not working. It has become inevitable to plan and manage your life due to technology is being used anywhere and everywhere. Be it in retail store, hospital, school, shopping centre, and any place you may think of.  Technology has become integral part of human life. Self-Serve machines available where user have to use system themselves.  Appointments can be done online. One can experience wearing new clothes online without wearing it actually. So individual have to learn and plan their day as per the technology demands. However technology is moving towards replacing completely or keeping minimal Human intervention and interaction; which we will explore ahead in the essay. Coming back to the questions posed below, remains valid for every human being to explore fundamentally in order to manage oneself

• What Are My Strengths?
• How Do I Perform?
• Where Do I Belong?
• What Is My Contribution?
• Relationship Responsibility
• The Second Half Of Your Life
• The Parallel Career[2]

I would argue the question itself could be elaborated to include how technology helps. What difference does it make? Thus answers have expanded and the context is enhanced to include technology influence and impact at deeper level - How Human beings’ behaviours and attitudes have changed to accept or deny in this digital age.

1. How technology helps oneself in managing better?

I can relate to couple of questions from the list above: ‘What are My Strengths’, ‘How do I Perform’ and ‘The Parallel Career’. One can be better by learning different ways of doing particular task or activities in which their strength is utilised and learning different skills to expand strengths. Whatever One’s strengths and core competencies be, How good or best one may be in doing something, they will need technology for various objectives.

How one can be better than yesterday – How one can continuously improve? Isn’t it the demand of competitive times? We analyse our outcome through self-appraisal and various feedback mechanisms regularly. It gives us pointers to prepare improvement plan. So first thing is clear that one need to continuously learn and improve themselves. It will be evolving process of ‘Plan, do, Check, Act’[3]. Technology opened a way to understand what’s happening in the world, in their area of strength, what are latest trends happening. We were doing internal assessment till date. Now it is very important to incorporate external world view in ‘what we do’ and ‘how we perform’. That’s how one can devise learning priorities considering internal and external view. Once priorities are clear, technology helps further to know the different views and ways of learning due to various online learning options E.g. Many universities offers various online learning courses  along with mentoring and 24x7 support through many ways such as emails, Webinar, Skype, Video conferencing. 

One can build on skills as and how one develop interests over period of time. E.g.:  I am not a great cook; in fact I was not fond of cooking but I have developed interest in cooking skills over period of time as I started following recipes and videos on YouTube. It made look so easy to cook any dishes. I am glad that I don’t have to be Master Chef to cook variety of cuisines. So one can build on new strengths with the help of technology throughout their lives. It can make life interesting all the time.

Human needs to be open to learn new ways. It promotes the belief ‘I can do it’ and flexibility can be achieved up to great level by using technology advancement. One don’t need to go far away from their home in order to learn and improve their skills. However it demands shift in habits of reading from books to iBook, written exam to online exam and instant results. It is overwhelming for few individuals. E.g.: I learnt ‘one way teaching’ pedagogy in primary school. I got the answers for my questions from my teachers. I had to know one answer for a question.  Teacher dictated the thinking. I passed with distinction every time because I did what I was told to do. As I grew up and I went to business school, the interactive and case study discussion pedagogy was very challenging for me. I was wondering why I have to find answer to all those questions. What am I learning here?  In this case, the shift from one habit to another habit was challenging so learning technology based activity, tool or device can be nightmare for any individual. My mother says that I have lived my life completely without technology why I need to learn now. I don’t need it. This is another extreme, few individuals have become rigid, fitted themselves to live in the world without technology also.

This journey of becoming better helps in getting to know themselves in terms of ‘who you are’ and ‘what is your purpose’. It may instigate some to prepare for a second career. Self-awareness increases along the way and thus the second career choice will be more informed, close to heart. It would get the best out of themselves, in line with their values and beliefs as they find or realise along the way.

[1] Peter Drucker, Management Challenges for the 21st Century, Pages 161-195

[2] Peter Drucker, Management Challenges for the 21st Century, Pages 161-195

[3] Deming Cycle