technology wellness in the nonprofit workplace

Technology Wellness in the Nonprofit Workplace

Beth Kanter, Master Trainer, Speaker, and Author Rutgers – Institute for Ethical Leadership

March 21, 2017

Agenda • The Big Picture • Technology Wellness Assessment • A Few Tips for Individuals • Bringing Tech Wellness into the Nonprofit

Workplace • Peer Coaching • Raffle

http://bethkanter.wikispaces.com/rutgers

Who is in the room?

The Bigger Picture: The Problem

Our technology use is changing our brains

We have no downtime 52% of smartphone owners check their phones a few times an hour or more.

We are losing our ability to focus and remember.

“Google Effect on Memory” -- Daniel Wegner, Harvard University

What is the

average human

attention span

online?

Attention Spans Online …

Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, US National Library of Medicine

Flickr photo: Josullivan59

Attention Span Statistics Data

The average human attention span in 2000. 12 seconds

The average human attention span in 2013. 8 seconds

9

seconds

Not Saying To Stop Using Technology

Tech Wellness

Assessment

Questions

Is Your Technology Use Healthy?

Information Overload

What’s Your Tech Wellness Score?

1. Is the only time you take a break from your tech when you’re sleeping?

2. Do you check your phone before you go to bed or right when you wake

up?

3. Do you have problems recalling information and resort to searching on

Google?

4. Do you feel that you often have a hard time paying attention or focusing

on a single task?

5. Do you experience frustration at the amount of online information you

need to process every day?

6. Do you frequently or constantly check your email, Twitter, Facebook or

other online services?

7. Do you sometimes check your mobile phone for messages while in the

bathroom?

8. Do you find yourself reaching for your phone even when you’re with

others?

9. Do you sit at your computer at work or home for longer than 30 minutes

at a time without getting up to take a break?

10.Do you ever check your mobile phone while walking outside?

Add up all the questions you answered “YES” to for your score

0…1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10

Source: Lulumonathletica

Healthy……………………………………………………Unhealthy

What’s Your Technology Wellness Score?

Tips for Individuals

Don’t Sleep with Your Mobile Phone

Manage Your Attention: 18 Minutes A Day

Tip: Standing Desks

Beverly Trayner-Wenger

Walking As Work Resources http://bethkanter.wikispaces.com/walk

Tip: Turn Off the Damn Computer and Go for A Walk

Walking At Work

• Pick the best type of meetings for walking meetings

• Walk inside when the sun don’t shine

• Plan your route

• Notetaking

• Wear comfortable shoes, bring water

Tip: Walking Meetings

Tip: Unplug regularly & often

Tip: Apps as Agents of Self-Care

Happy Healthy: There’s An App for That

http://bit.ly/HHNP-apps

Tip: Try Meditative Art

What is one small action step that you can take around technology wellness?

What is your burning question about technology wellness?

Technology Wellness in the Nonprofit Workplace

Collaborative Overload ● Burnout from too many e-mails,

meetings, and collaborative tech tools that limits our ability to get stuff done

● More connectivity externally and more collaboration internally is positive, but can lead to being “overwhelmed”

● Research shows that today’s office

worker spends 90% of their time engaged in tasks with other people.

Research Source: Rob Cross, Adam Grant

● 15% of organization time is spent in meetings

● Four hours a week for status update meetings

● There are an estimated 11 millions a day in America

● US businesses waste more than $37 billion year in unproductive meetings

Source: NY Times, “Meeting is Murder” 2/28/16 Fuze Infographic on Meetings

Is this familiar?

• Long work week • Come home to realize

you didn’t get stuff done

• You start doing solo work in evenings and weekends

• You don’t do it because you are too exhausted

Solution: The Four P’s

Planning People

Priorities Present

Planning: Structure and Rituals Assessment

1. I feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment at the end of each day 2. I have a clear sense of what’s ahead each month 3. I stick to deadlines and commitments and rarely let things fall through the cracks 4. I feel good about how I allocate time and energy at work 5. I plan my work tasks according to my level of energy 6. I am caught up on my email

7. My team or organization has a clear policy about sending after hours emails

8. My team uses cloud software for collaboration and has a well mapped out workflow

and training for all users 0-24

What’s your score? 0=No, 1=Sometimes 2=Yes

Add it up your answers

Tips to Improve Planning

● Schedule Team Power Hours ● Use Look-Ahead Rituals

Tips to Improve Planning

● Clearly Define Workflow for Online Collaboration Platforms and Training

● Adopt Formal Practices Around Team Emails

People: How You Relate To Others Assessment

1. I know who my go-to people are for various tasks, support, and decision making. 2. I am comfortable saying no, negotiating requests, and making requests of others. 3. I calmly and directly approach conflict, difficult conversations, and tough people

decisions face-to-face 4. I stay away from gossip, office politics, and drama 5. Our team never wastes time due to misunderstandings from email communications 6. Our team communicates precisely via email and online collaboration tools 7. Our team has a remote working charter 8. Our team has an effective approach to integrating remote and on-site staff for

meetings and collaboration



0-24

Tips to Improve

● Set a Statute of Limitations on People Frustrations ● Say NO, But Enforce Boundaries With Grace

Tips to Improve People

● Write emails that are precise ● Create a remote working charter for your team

Subjects w/Keywords [ACTION] [SIGN] [DECISION] [CORD] [INFO] Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) Fewer Words Link to Attachments

Priorities: How You Spend Your Time

1. We spend time working on key priorities and goals that move the needle for our organization, our team, or my own performance and growth.

2. I complete tasks even when I don’t want to do them. 3. My organization encourages us to engage in self-care without guilt. 4. My organization or team has clear rationales for how we use our time 5. I understand and accept the trade-offs that I make when choosing how to spend my

time.



0-15

Tips to Improve

● Take A Trend-Line View ● Rethink Status Updates Meetings

Tips to Improve

● Don’t schedule hour meetings by default

Being Present: How You Focus and Pay Attention

1. I am able to focus on the task at hand. 2. I am focused and engaged in meetings and I listen to my colleagues. 3. I stay focused during the workday. 4. I have time to complete the things that require focus and strategic thinking. 5. When I have free time, I know how to use it productively or restoratively.



0-15

Tips to Improve

● Team wide analysis of most productive times ● Have explicit team or organization policy about white space or

maker time

Tips to Improve

● Device free zones in your workplace ● Meeting policy about use of devices to avoid “technoference”

Peer Coaching Triads

Step 1 (3 minutes) #1 Shares Tech Wellness Challenge Step 2 (4 minutes) #2 & #3 Ask Clarifying Questions Step 3 (3 minutes) #1 Duck Tape #2/#3 offer advice Step 4 (2 minutes) #1 Summarizes action steps

One Minute of Silent Reflection: I Commit To …

Trios Exchange Mobile Numbers

Send Text Reminder Next Week

Book Raffle

Thank you!

www.bethkanter.org

The Happy Healthy Nonprofit

http://bit.ly/happyhealthynpbook

technology wellness in the nonprofit workplace

Government & Nonprofit