<update> I’m going to stop the experiment. The lack of access to a mobile up-to-date calendar increased the stress. Also the ability to at least scan emails was just increasing the daily email dump. I tried a few workarounds but… well… the terms “Malware” and “asset” were involved. I’m still going to make more use of a secondary phone. </update>
Just started this experiment before the holidays. The issue was that thought I don’t send email until the end of the day (see Daily Email Limitation), I would nervously check my Blackberry to see if something interesting had come in. This despite having emasculated the Blackberry of all beeps, notifications, lights, and other desperate cries for attention.
Goal of experiment:
- To ensure focus on the person, subject, or activity at hand. Therefore, no access to Blackberry until after noon.
Conditions:
- Have only one device that is approved for work emails
- Switch the SIM from that device to a non-email device
Tips:
- Calendar appointments were the biggest problem, so I sync events to my Google calendar so they show on my non-email phone.
Results:
The jury is still out on this one. It really is unsettling not to be able to even know what email is going on during the work day.
- Positive: Increased ability to focus and break Blackberry twiddling habit
- Positive: Able to explore benefits of Android phone
- Negative: End-of-day email processing gets much harder particularly if committed to Inbox zero–no pre-reading
- Negative: Calendar sync is a major issue
- Negative: Don’t see issues that might be best served with a phone call (see Daily Limitation)
Conclusion:
I’m going to continue to give this one a go returning from the holiday. But still not comfortable that it is worth the trouble.
Negative: without formal warning system (ie, out-of-office alerting folks that you aren’t on bberry) even folks with a true need-to-action issue won’t know how to reach you unless they are frequent communicators.
Similarly, I’ve sort of done the same thing with office voicemail now – I have my mobile on my message for emergencies, and check the system every two or three days. I get a lot of messages and at least 90% are junk. So I just dropped out. But if you don’t give folks an alternative, it could interfere with shipping at some point. So far going OK, but it’s a loser from a career perspective – have gotten feedback from some folks who are less comfortable with text, cell, IM that even though I am on email and plainly leave cell, they “can’t find me”… Trying to find right mix in 2012.
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