Keeping Staff Current

Few businesses could survive without some form of technology working in the background. Whether it's a simple cash-register program that tracks inventory and daily purchases or a sophisticated network that links people and places around the globe, technology helps organizations maintain a competitive edge and build a strong presence in today's business world.

Because technology is so important to your company's success, it only makes sense that you and your employees gain a better understanding of what is going on inside the technology you use every day. Unfortunately, most business owners and managers delay technology training until it's time to make a new purchase, install new software or figure out why something suddenly quit working. With the time required for a lengthy training session, the usual learning curve and the loss in employee productivity that results from not knowing the information in the first place, such a last-minute approach usually ends up costing a company more in the long run.

If you want to compete in today's business world, it's important to keep up with the fundamentals of technology. Just as you keep an eye on financial and political news, you must stay informed of general technology trends and recent developments. While there's no need to become an expert (that's what your IT department is for), you and your employees should have enough background information to ask the right questions and make the right decisions about the technology your business relies on.

To reach this level of expertise, you need a strategy unique to your company's interests, needs and information-gathering habits. Here are a few tips to help you formulate a working strategy.

Television and Radio

Most everyone in your company probably watches TV and listens to the radio, but do they take advantage of what these outlets can teach them about technology? There are numerous technology documentaries, regular series, call-in Q&A shows and more on both TV and radio.

Encourage your team to find the programs they like and that deliver the best information. Provide blank video and audio tapes so they can record the programs, and then create a library so each employee has access to the information and can learn at their own pace. Local and national news programs often cover technology, too. A short TV or radio segment usually provides a good overview of a new technology or of a problem with a current technology.



Newspapers

Many local and all major newspapers cover technology issues in some way. For example, the Houston Chronicle covers technology in its business section five days a week (Tuesday through Saturday). There you'll find listings of useful Web sites, Q&A columns, user tips and product reviews. Other major newspapers do much the same, like the Los Angeles Times, which runs its technology articles on Mondays and Thursdays.

Such regular features enable people to learn a lot from a quick glance. Cut out these articles from your local paper and post them for your employees to read. Or go online and access columns in other papers. When you give your employees regular snippets of information, they'll have a firm base of technology wisdom to build on.



Magazines

Numerous magazines cater to the technology market. Browse through some of them to determine which ones offer the most pertinent information for your company's needs. Initiate a business subscription to the magazines your employees find most useful and encourage them to read the articles every month. For those magazines you don't subscribe to, make a visit to your local library every two to three months and skim the back issues. You can also encourage your employees to do this during an extended lunch. Once it is a part of your routine, it will take you just an hour or two one afternoon four to six times a year to stay informed. Now that's efficient!



Books

An entire "this-is-how-things-work" genre of books exists, which is worth looking into. Purchase a few for general reference and keep them in a location that all of your employees can access. Not only do such books tell you how various technologies work, but most of them also have useful glossaries and appendices that explain underlying principles like electromagnetism and basic mechanics.

For information on specific technologies, check out the very popular Dummies and Complete Idiot's Guide type of instructional books. With more topics coming out all the time and old topics being updated, you can find clear, simple explanations of subjects that many people find daunting.

Remember that the more competent your team becomes with the basics of technology, the more productively they'll use their existing equipment and devices.



Internet

If your employees have Internet access, encourage them to find a good search engine and learn how to use it, especially the advanced search features. This will allow them to find manufacturer's sites, user's groups, bulletin boards and online magazines. An hour or two of intense browsing will probably yield more than enough information. Employees can then bookmark the sites they like best and return to them as needed. The best approach is to schedule time to return to such sites on a weekly or monthly basis, just to keep current.



People

Let's not forget that we can learn from each other. Here are some ways you can get help from people (and maybe give some, too).

Networking. You can pass information through your retail or manufacturing business formally or informally. One good way is to create an interoffice e-mail distribution forum, whereby if someone learns a new tip or solves a common problem, he or she can e-mail the information to the entire group.

Seminars. Many seminar companies offer topics like "Latest Developments in Information Technology for Non-IT Managers" or "Everything an HR Manager Needs to Know About E-Learning." Usually one to three days in length, this type of seminar is a good way to quickly get up to speed on a technology that is important to your business, but with which you've had little direct experience. The next time you get a seminar flier in the mail, whatever the topic, jot down the company's Web site address. When you decide it's time to attend a seminar, you can search those Web sites for the topic you need.

Super Users. Most companies or departments have at least one non-IT person whose off-the-job passion is technology. This is the individual who has forgotten more than most of us will ever know about a given technology. While you shouldn't be a nuisance to these people, you should find out who the "super users" are in your organization and treat them as a resource.



Your Personal Strategy

Keeping up with technology doesn't require radical new behaviors or an advanced college degree. Use your company's needs and resources to guide you in devising a technology update strategy that yields the best results. When you stay current with technology information, you and your employees will be able to ask the right questions, anticipate problems and quickly find solutions to all of your business needs. The result will be a knowledgeable workforce that keeps your company productive and profitable in today's volatile business world.