The #1 time waster in community banking is the Smartphone
Read any survey on time wasters in business and you’ll find at the top of the list, things that have to do with smartphones. If you don’t believe the surveys, just look around. If you’re in an area of your bank right now where you can see other employees, odds are that you will see someone looking at or talking on their smartphone. We’re not knocking smartphones. We love and use them. They bring a level of productivity and responsiveness that we’ve never had in years past. But now more than ever, they are interrupting productivity and profitability. Keep in mind, the problem isn’t the phone, it’s the person using the phone. When employees can’t stop looking at their smartphone, feeling like they can’t miss anything, they end up missing everything. Here are five ways to tell if you are SmartPhone Stupid (SPS).
You’ve left the meeting
Do you look at your smartphone during a meeting? Even worse, are you texting, sending email, or checking the weather (we’ve seen this) while in a meeting? If you can’t go one hour without looking at your smartphone, you have a serious time management problem. Keep in mind that every time you check your phone, you’re leaving the meeting and missing the discussion. If you think the meeting is a waste of time (and some meetings can be), then talk to your supervisor. There may be rare occasions when you need your smartphone in the meeting. In those cases, let the person leading the meeting know what’s going on. A good practice is to leave the phone outside the meeting room, turn it off, or set it on airplane mode.
In your line of sight
Texting is a huge time waster. Unless you conduct business on your smartphone, it should be out of sight and out of mind. Can you see your smartphone right now? If you can see it, make sure there is a legitimate reason. Are you waiting on a major business call? Is there a family situation you’re dealing with? But, if the reason you are eyeing that phone is you’re sending texts to your significant other saying that you love him more or to keep that ongoing conversation with your BFF, who also doesn’t like his job, then reconsider your bad phone habits. An occasional text is fine and it may actually be more time efficient than a phone call. Just understand that every text is an interruption of the work that needs to be done. Any text at work should be work related unless you’re at lunch or on break. If you’re texting with friends during work hours, you’re stealing from your bank. Would you be willing to show your supervisor the last 100 texts you’ve sent today? Don’t be SPS with texting.
Overly Social
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. If you find yourself getting social on these sites at work, then you are being SPS. Social media is in the top 3 of most surveys about time wasters at work. So it’s safe to assume that time is being wasted in your community bank through social media. If you’re leveling up on Candy Crush while at work, that’s a problem. If you’re sharing work stories on Snapchat, that’s a bigger problem. Getting overly social may be good for your personal life, but when it crashes into your work life, it’s bad for business and worse for your career.
I’m too busy
If that quote has come out of your mouth in the last 30 days, then something is managing you. Odds are, “that something”, could be one of the previous points we’ve already discussed. Or, it could be one of the dozens of other ways you can waste time on your smartphone, like catching up on news and events. Your smartphone is a powerful tool when used for good and can help you manage your business life. If you’re not using your smartphone as your mobile calendar and task list, you’re missing out on the benefits of some great productivity tools. If you’re a loan officer or manager and you’re not using the convenience of your smartphone to answer emails and return calls while outside the office, then you’re missing out. Regardless of your role in the bank, saying, “I’m too busy”, is just another way of saying… I’m SPS.
Pokemon GO Addict
We should’t have to say more, but we can’t resist! We find it funny that a so-called smartphone has transformed so many people into walking, idiot, zombies. Do what you want on your own time, but if you’re at work, in a community bank, no less, (meaning you’re not 15 years old) trying to catch animated characters with your smartphone, then you should be fired immediately. You have an extreme case of SPS that can’t be fixed. You shouldn’t be allowed near real bankers with real careers trying to help small business owners and other people in reaching their financial goals.
Control the Smartphone before stupid takes over
If you’re guilty of being SmartPhone Stupid, there’s still hope before it becomes a permanent condition… maybe. The first step is to admit you’ve been stupid. The next step is to survive the withdrawals of not having your smartphone constantly attached to some part of your body. Next, come to the realization that, short of a nuclear holocaust, you can reconnect at lunch or after work, only to find that you missed absolutely nothing worth taking you from your job. And, if you just have to play Pokemon GO, do it on your own time, try not to walk into anything, and please don’t tell anyone at work!
