In his article Are You Using Technology or Is It Using You? David Drucker talks about being “addicted” to technology. He cites not being able to ignore email and often letting it’s arrival interrupt him while he’s working on other tasks.

I was kind of laughing when I read this because he says:

Apparently, scientists have now proven that e-mail is a stimulant as potentially addictive as coffee or maybe something stronger, depending on one’s personality and lack of self-control. Which is why carrying an e-mail-enabled Treo was a high-risk behavior for the likes of me.

Well, not being one that just takes someones word for something, I tried to find a study that talked about this. I found this one and that led to this interesting search.

I was surprised, you mean there are self help groups for email addiction? More than that, you can get professional help? I have this visual of cabin in the woods with no power or cell towers nearby, I would die. Then I wondered; am I addicted to technology?

Anyone who has been to my house or Matt’s house knows we are geeks. At my desk are two computers and four monitors, (Matt turned me on to multiple monitors, I can have so many more web browsers open). There are no less than 6 functional computers and an unknown number of computer carcasses. My TV is hooked up to a Media Center computer, my movies are on a file server and streamed to my TV on demand. I have a Mame arcade box and an XBox 360. Matt’s house is pretty similar, in fact we don’t really call each other anymore; we video conference over the net.

I took David Drucker’s Quiz, and my score was a 9; whew I am not an addict. That really doesn’t come as a surprise to me; I’m pretty disciplined and hate to be in a connected world. I have set up many balances to ensure I pay proper attention to my wife and kids (the really important things in life). I got rid of my computer in the family room so I can’t work when we are all hanging out. I don’t have a computer or TV in my bedroom. I don’t have a portable email device. My phone can only make calls and browse the web so painfully slow that I don’t use it for web browsing.

So what does this have to do with practice management? You really need to determine if you are the kind of person that can control your urges with respect to technology. If not you need to figure out a way to do it. If you are talking to a client on the phone, reviewing quarterly reports and responding to an email, something will get dropped. Most likely your client on the phone will think you are not paying attention, you will miss something on a report and will not respond thoroughly to the email.

Here are some things to do:

• Take David Drucker’s Quiz, do you have a problem? Even if you don’t score that high you might over multi-task
• Throw away your portable email device. you will never receive an email that cannot wait until you get to the office. If you are out of town, hotels have courtesy computers that you can get web-mail on. A PDA is fine for taking notes and checking appointments.
• If a client calls, turn off your computer monitor - you want them to feel like they are your only client
• Face your computer monitor so the glass points into the room. This way if someone walks into your office you are forced to look away from the monitor to have a discussion.
• Set up a conference room to meet with clients, no computers, no phones just you and them. (Don’t take your cell or PDA in there either)
• Turn your computer speakers off unless you are actively listening to something. This way when your back is to the computer you will not notice that an email came in. (Really, it can wait a few minutes)
• Come up with a morning ritual that leaves you disconnected for the first couple of hours.
• Get a personal email address that is only for family and friends.
• Only check personal email at home - unless you are expecting a specific client email
• Have your receptionist or assistant screen your business email. Nine times out of ten it will be some back-office request anyway

Hopefully, some of these things will help restore balance to your life, otherwise you mind end single and in a group home.