Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Due to a past wrist injury I much prefer to type out my thoughts, technical documents and other products. My job requires a written log that is maintained, disseminated throughout the company, to other companies we collaborate with, and maintained for nearly forever. So, while I get by just fine writing things down, and even utilize my daily work lists as a note pad (not to mention actual note pads that I keep,) I prefer to keep most of my personal notes on my phone. I prefer electronic logs, and type out attachments every chance I get!
Be it filters, instructions, lists, etc., I prefer to type it down in my phone.
Also, to the gentleman who looks so far down his nose at those who choose to utilize technology, consider that it might have been your superior and condescending attitude that caused an undue amount of anxiety, resulting in the poor results you received. For my generation, and especially for the one behind me, it's much faster and less confusing to simply plug in a destination and go, instead of learning routing in an unfamiliar locale. If the man you're talking about knew the general area and was hired as more than a cheap extra pair of hands, then I can understand your annoyance, but if he's not a professional, then what did you expect?
gathermewool,
Clearly you have a disability.
I can understand your necessity for the increased reliance upon technology to help you to be more productive at work.
I do the exact same thing myself. Only I don't have a disability.
I hope I'm right in believing that you are capable of following instructions given to you by a supervisor.
I also utilize technology, and some of it is the most advanced technology available in the world to date.
I was the leader in my industry with regards to adopting the technology, and it cost me a lot of money but I could see the benefits.
I believe technology has it's place, and is vital especially in this modern world.
However, I firmly believe it's not a viable replacement for the most basic of life skills.
With reference to the offsider I had in my employ.
First of all.
He was on my time as he was being paid by me out of my own pocket.
I didn't necessarily need him for the job, but I made space for him to help out and reorganised the work flow accordingly, with a view to accelerated learning at every opportunity.
He was not familiar with the area because he comes from the other side of town.
After leaving school late last year, he was going to take over the world in Real estate. It didn't work out as well as his family hoped. At all.
He has been in and out of work since and unable to hold down a job in fields where he should have been able to preform reasonably well.
He wasn't necessarily paid(still waiting), or paid as well with other employers.
Actually he was taken advantage of by other employers according to his fathers accounts.
The lad is the eldest son of a very, very old friend.
I was his father's best man at his wedding, and the lad's younger brother is my god son.
I have known him since long before he was born.
His father rang me and asked if I could help the lad branch out into another field, in which I have extensive experience and a well proven track record.
I was the sole person in his fathers life who, when the lad was about 2 years old said there was something not quite right with the boy.
This eventually led to a diagnosis of Asbergers syndrome.
We have moved forward together and faithfully walked the path with him during his development, and is now a young man.
I gave him some work with me as a result of his fathers' request.
Without prejudice, and unbeknown to the lad.
He was under constant evaluation as if he was any other person under employment during a standard probationary period.
Although I did cut him some slack because of his father and his Asbergers.
I wanted to get a feel for his strengths and weaknesses to help build him up.
The example I provided earlier was just the most prominent, out of a number that occurred over a three day period.
3 days was as long as he lasted with me.
The Asbergers wasn't the problem.
Sadly he was not missed too much.
And I was saddened and disappointed by his performance overall, as I had come to realise it reflected badly upon his upbringing in a number of ways.
In this regard, the results have been less than impressive to say the least.
In my younger days I have worked with lads my own age, and over the years employed people who would've bought and sold him while he was looking around and wondering where they went.
At no point did I set him up to fail what so ever, as it was in nobody's best interests.
Nor is it my style, as I am always mindful of giving clear and concise instructions regardless of who they may be, because it's more cost effective than sending an Email to somebody that's working along side of me under constant supervision.
This way nobody can say "you didn't tell me".
With the modern day reliance upon technology, people aren't listening to others when being communicated to effectively.
IMO, in a lot of cases they are distracted by the novelty of the technology.
Worse still, it's even possible their heads are filled with just liking the idea of having the technology available to them and at their disposal.
They should be focusing on where they are and what they are doing. Also have an understanding of what's actually required to be successful.
And not just looking the part whilst being surrounded by their technology.
Given his fathers values(which are very similar to mine), it's a poor result for the lad to say the least.
I only hope he never asks for a critique of his sons performance.
He had an opportunity to ask but never took it up at the time.
I can only assume he knows deep down what I will be saying to him.
I put it to you.
Just because you were traumatised by your earliest experience when starting out.
It doesn't necessarily follow that all employers are monsters. Although I have certainly worked for a few over the years.
If the boy was in the military.
He would've had a very hard time of it before they eventually drummed him out.