Home > Technobuddy > Archives > 2007 > July > 23
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of my best friends is a big shot consultant in the high tech industry. He lives here in Atlanta on the weekend but flies off to his current project every Sunday and flies back late on Fridays. He’s treated well - a penthouse and car are furnished at his consulting project. On the other hand, by Wednesday mornings he’s worked more hours than I work in any week.
The guy loves technology and, like I said, his company is in that business.
But when he needed to meet with programmers in India, he got on an airplane. He could have done it by phone, or e-mail, or even used a fancy video teleconferencing set-up. But he spent 18 hours (lord knows what that’s worth at the rates he bills) on an airplane to meet with the programmers in person.
That’s why the story I’m linking to here rings true to me.
A poll showed that 58 percent of workers still think that it is best to communicate face-to-face with their bosses. That’s why - even as the technology increasingly makes it easier for us to jump around the world at the click of a mouse button - I’m betting that offices and meetings won’t be going away any time soon.
What do you think? Heck, what do you do? Do you work in a virtual world of IMs, e-mails and teleconferences - or do you make your way to work on the clogged interstates and endure days filled with meetings face-to-face?
