By Zarela Cruz
We are not going as far as technophobia, but we should admit that
most of us have been afraid of technology at work up to certain extend. What
can we do to deal with this fright successfully? How can we feel at ease, or at
least, comfortable with it?
Remember when Office burst out in the market? And we
were told that overhead projectors would be replaced by a desk computer so we
could use Power Point presentations?
For some, it meant a new challenge; for others, a nightmare. I was quite
fortunate to be picked in the first group of teachers that got some training
from experts. Unfortunately, we did not make the most of it since the expert
used terminology we were not familiar with and explained things really fast.
How frustrating! I was sure there had to be another way, so I tried a course
for grandparents at my children’s school. Yes, grandparents. What a difference!
The teacher was very patient and their assistants too. And our big smiles when
doing something well were genuine…and so was the teacher’s satisfaction. I
realized the best courses and/or trainers are not the ones that have a lot of
degrees, but the ones that are capable of putting themselves in their students’
shoes and are empathetic.
Another experience was in a
congress in Argentina some years ago. There was a lecture about technology, and
it was fully booked. The presenter
talked about the advent of the cloud. I am convinced 90% of the audience could
not grasp what he meant. Now I know clouds are used to storage information,
like a USB memory. How simple it was! On
another occasion, I was very interested in learning about social media. The
presenter showed us all her life in Facebook
and LinkedIn and also talked
about… yes, you are right, clouds one more time!!! There was I,
frustrated again! Was it useful? Not at all, but since then, I keep that
experience in mind as a clear example of what NOT to do when giving a workshop.
I dislike people that use a lot of technical jargon with a novice audience. I
do feel pleased when a presenter asks about the audience’s experiences with
technology and gets to know how familiar they are with the topic and tailors
their presentation to the current needs of that particular audience. These are
the champions that will make us love technology and not to be afraid of it.
Below, some suggestions to
reduce our level of anxiety regarding technology at work:
1.
ASK A COLLEAGUE TO HELP YOU: There is
always someone at hand who has more experience with technology, or it seems
easy for them to use some programs or devices. In exchange, perhaps you can
offer your assistance in a task you know this person is struggling with.
Sometimes, it shows up in a conversation during a break, while socializing. It
won’t hurt to give it a try.
2.
READ ABOUT TECHNOLOGY. My advice: follow
some people that are in the field and, most importantly, who YOU understand.
Social media is very useful; you can use either Facebook or LinkedIn.
3.
TRY AN ONLINE COURSE. The range of
topics and prices of these lessons is quite diverse. Having this kind of experience
will give you more confidence to deal with technology at work.
4.
DON’T BE TOO HARSH ON YOURSELF. Some
devices are friendlier than others. Take one step at a time. First learn one or
two tasks, practice them and include them in your daily classes. Then, try
another and so on. Sooner than later, you will have incorporated a considerable number of software functions successfully.
What about you?
Are you struggling with technology at work?
Have you ever found it frustrating to deal with it daily?
Let us know what you think!
Biodata
Zarela Cruz graduated from
Ricardo Palma University as a translator. She also finished her master’s
studies in Linguistics and took some specialization diplomas in the
Teaching of English and Spanish. She has also completed some online
certificates: Teaching the Working Adult, Online,
Hybrid and Blended Education, among other self-study courses. She has
taught different courses, programs and levels and has been a teacher trainer, a
lecturer and online instructor for more than 25 years. She has just
finished her master’s studies in Translation. This article aims to reflect
on the (un)justified fear of the implementation of technology at work.
