Modern technology & old fashion ways

Most of this weekend was spent unraveling the mystery that is my new Black Berry Bold 9900. This thing has more gadgets and apps than the Starship Enterprise!

And what was the first thing I did with this high dollar, techno investment? Read the newspaper.

No matter how much technology the world throws at me, some habits will never go away.

Google has a great application called Google Books. This resource contains millions of books on every subject you could ever dream.  Right on your laptop, pc or tablet...All for free. So, what do you think I spend hours upon hours reading in this vast electronic library? Popular Mechanics from the 1940's & 1950's.

With every form of technology, I find a way to use it to visit our past. With every advancement in modern convenience, I find a way to revive a rustic bit of knowledge.

Who needs Facebook & Twitter as long as there are still old time barber shops where you can stop in and visit for hours, catching up on all  the news of your home town?

Who needs email & text when you can write a hand written letter or better yet, drop in for a visit to a friend, colleague or customer?

Who needs the 24-hour news feeds when you can read the papers in the morning over breakfast or in the afternoon over a pint?

WHO AM I KIDDING? As much as many of us enjoy dwelling on the ways of the past, our lives are so much easier with all this new technology. Without embracing modern advancements, you will slip behind your competition and look incompetent to your clients.  

Just as cell phones took the place of land lines, and email took the place of fax machines, so to will future advancements overtake those we currently feel like we cannot live without.

But how nice is it to get a hand written letter once in a blue moon?  

That being said, one thing that modern technology can  NEVER replace is Integrity & Good Work Ethic. In today's age of a quick buck, we must always remember to be steadfast in our morals & values in all aspects of our lives including our business dealings. Your reputation, once ruined, is not easily repaired.

Your non-compete...Did you really read it before you signed it?

What happens when your love-affair with the company you are working for wears off?
What happens when your competitor is offering you more money, better working conditions and a happier life?

Well...if you didn't sign a non-compete, you go to work where you will be happiest.

But if you did, in the rush of emotions & excitement of joining your old employer, sign a non-compete...Well...You may be in job-purgatory!

Did you even read the thing before you signed it? Did you really rationalize what would happen if you decided to move on? If you are like most folks when getting a new job, PROBABLY NOT.

These things can inflict hardships on you that you would have never imagined. Financial strife, the inability to work in the field that you call home and the agony of watching your new-found dream job slip away to another candidate.

Non-competes are never geared to benefit the employee. If so, you would have YOUR lawyer draw up the paper work. Instead, the company's team of hot-shot lawyers draws it up and you, in all your excitement, signed it like a sheep headed to slaughter.

Non-competes are a sure sign of insecurity & paranoia of a company. It says a lot about the company who is hiring you. They know, that their competitor can make you a better offer than they can. So...Why not go explore those competitors' opportunities before you sign on the dotted line?

They can & will hold up in court (mostly). They can & will keep you from pursuing your future (mostly). They can & will keep you up at night wondering why you ever signed the thing (mostly). They are, in my opinion, immoral & unethical (ALWAYS).

I say don't sign one. Don't go to work for someone who demands you sign one. And if you are working for someone for a while and then they ask you to sign one, insist on getting legal advice first.

But if you have no other choice but to sign one...Read it. Have your attorney read it. Think about it very carefully. Your future endeavors are in jeopardy.