A friend of mine recently sent me this little photo parable as a comment, I suppose, on the current state of our society. His message seemed to say, “See Einstein was right, we’re becoming a nation of idiots.”
In less than a decade – a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things – we’ve become numb to the fact that we are missing out on some of the best parts of life so that we can shoot angry birds out of a virtual slingshot on our smart phone or look at mundane Facebook updates that have no germane purpose to our lives.
Before you think I’m just an old curmudgeon yelling from atop my soap box, though, let’s step back and get to my point – because I do have one. Electronic forms of information and communication have an important purpose and, when used appropriately, bring value to the workplace and to life. But access to knowledge at the tips of our fingers doesn’t necessarily make us smarter. If Einstein were alive today, would he think we’ve reached the point where technology has surpassed our human interaction? Likely. At the very least he would admit we are well on our way.
How does that relate to your precast company and our daily lives? Think about it. Connecting with current or potential customers on social media or your website, or using Skype to see your grandchild halfway across the country walk for the first time is all good. But I’ve always believed that when you’re in a room with one or more people, you need to be in that room. That goes for a business meeting, a walk through the plant, dinner out or even just sitting on the sofa. We need to enjoy the company of others around us and pledge to make ourselves enjoyable company to be around. If we do this, I can promise we’ll get more out of our professional and personal lives.
Ty Gable
President, National Precast Concrete Association
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