Down But Not Out

ARRRRGHH!  The pixies are afoot, raining and raising havoc on my day. Rest assured, almost all of our staff is doing great, and we have workarounds in place to get things done. However, a few of us are being held captive by some annoying tech issues.  They are getting fixed, and we will be up and running in no time at all.

So, while I am held hostage in this chamber of idleness,  I thought this would be a great time to relaunch this blog. Technically, it didn’t go anywhere; I just got too busy to write regularly. However, a little forced downtime is suitable for creating content to make the most of my schedule interruptions.

What should I write about?  The rising costs of freight, and components and such? Nah! You know way too much about that stuff already. How about we talk about what we can do when tech issues create a delay in your workflow?

10 things to do when technology interferes

0.  Here is a freebie to start with – don’t bother the IT dept. They know there is an issue. And they are working on it. They will contact you with an update or a request to get involved. Just let them be. Have you ever heard of the saying, “too many cooks…”.  They don’t need any more sous chefs.

1. Make yourself a healthy breakfast/lunch.  Fruit Loops aren’t going to help you today. Eat something real to deal with the frustrations. Today calls for pancakes. My favourite breakfast recipe is this. I make them three times a week, and when I eat these pancakes, I can handle anything.

2.  Find a workaround; it may cause some duplicate work for a bit. But it’s a sacrifice we all have to make occasionally. My workaround consisted of email.  Something that our organization doesn’t use a lot.  When the chips were down – email saved the day.

3. Take an opportunity to learn from other companies. I had a chance this week to listen to a panel speak about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The topic was Creating an Inclusive Culture by Minerva BC and PWC.  It’s such an important topic, and I realized that I could affect change as much as anyone else.  And I have lots of ideas for future blog posts. This panel has me inspired.  You can watch the recording of the talk here.

4. Do you work from home?  Have you made your bed yet? How do you even work if your bed isn’t made? Make your bed!

5. Reevaluate, edit, and add new routines to your day. What are your goals? Are your habits working for you?  Need some inspiration – this article has helped me to redefine my day.

6.  Check in with some of your staff (especially those who are also having issues). It can be stressful when you have a lot of work to do and cannot tackle it. Listen to their frustrations.  Share a joke. I just asked Google to tell me a joke, and she gave me this gem.

Q: Why are vampires so easy to fool?
A: Because they are suckers.

7. Plan a “Hate Day” – Since today is my free day. Friday will be my hate day. Don’t even think about calling to chat with me. I will be catching up on all the stuff I didn’t get done today. (PS. I don’t hate these tasks – they are just piling up – and need my attention).

8. Breathe, meditate, say a mantra, manifest. Take a few minutes to put some good energy out into the world. Will it solve your tech issues?  Maybe. Maybe not. It will make you feel better.

9. Read this. Then maybe have a zoom/teams call with your favourite cat.

10.  Start a blog.

What kind of things do you do when your tools are working against you?