From calls to connections

My two children, now in their twenties, hardly ever use their smartphones to make phone calls, relying on messaging. The smartphone, despite its name, is no longer primarily a phone, but a powerful computer, which has greater processing power than those that took man to the Moon.

In 1926, Nikola Tesla predicted that one day wireless devices fitting in a vest pocket would revolutionise the world and that the Earth would be converted into a huge brain with a network of wireless connections. It is hard to believe that just over 100 years ago someone had such a correct prediction about the future. Tesla’s vision has now materialised, and it provides huge possibilities.

In line with Tesla’s prophecy, for me, the greatest potential of the smartphone is connections with others.

Distraction or value-add?

Despite the numerous benefits, smartphone usage at work is often frowned upon. They are considered to be distractors from the real tasks. Think for a moment, if you saw someone using a smartphone at work, what would be your first reaction? Possibly that time was being wasted on non-work-related activities. It’s so easy to be judgmental!

Research has found that 55% of employers think that someone using a smartphone at work is wasting time and it’s true, two-thirds of employees do use their smartphone during work for no-work related activities. In fact, just over half admit to using them in the toilets! Conversely, 60% are actually using their personal phone for work activities, during and beyond work hours and the workplace, and just under half use their personal device for work at least once an hour. ^[1]

So, whilst there is truth that smartphones can undermine productivity and safety^[2] is that enough of a reason to sanction their use at work?

Smartphones empower workplace learning

When it comes to people development, there are very positive uses of the smartphone at work; and I don’t mean for trivial activities, but important things.

First of all, the use of search engines and artificial intelligence, underpin performance support in the moment of need. The smartphone is a fantastic tool for finding information and solving problems. And that use is supercharged when subject experts support in the curation and sharing of quality learning content, and global information that can be applied to local opportunities and challenges.

Many of us have managed to solve a problem watching a web-based video. We also can create videos or podcasts, so there is huge potential in organisations creating bespoke content. Add to the mix the publishing of blogs and vlogs (video blogs) and a rich contextual resource library is at our fingertips.

Smartphones are a primary means to access social networks and learning communities. Staff can leverage internal collaborative platforms as well as connecting externally via social media sites such as LinkedIn and X. In both cases connections empower information and knowledge sharing, and support from others. Moreover, a smartphone can empower you to take part in a webinar in any place and circumstance, for instance, while travelling by train.

Learning apps abound, and many are free. Duolingo, one of the most lucrative online learning businesses has transformed language learning with tuition in over 40 languages available for the masses^[3]. I even have a well-being app on my phone together with functionality that measures key health factors.

And the applications are set to become more astonishing with the strides being taken in artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

AI is now the energizer of performance support in the moment of need enabling us to connect with a digital ‘hive mind’ or chatbot in an instant.

Using AR, informative digital overlays of the world enrich learning in context. Many museums enable us to use our smartphones for an immersive experience. And VR can provide simulations which support a test-and-learn approach where mistakes are integral to the learning journey, where training in the real environment carries risk.

For me, there is no debate – smartphones stimulate learning, and cost-effective development at that!

Time for cultural change

Despite the numerous positives of smartphone usage at work, they remain problematic. Sure, there are some secure environments where the use of a personal device carries risk, but the time has come to embrace smartphones as a key work tool.

Enlightened employers now have ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) procedures. And if using personal devices is challenging many have a CYOD “Choose Your Own Device” programme through which staff select a cutting-edge smartphone from an approved list. Alternatively, COPE “Corporate Owned Personally Enabled” schemes provide company devices that also allowed personal use.

So, there’s no excuse, smartphones can and should be a primary work tool.

To energise organisational evolution, it’s essential for leaders to spearhead the cultural shift, by overtly endorsing the integration of smartphone use at work. Embracing smartphones as tools for enhancing work and learning is paramount.

Additionally, managers must reassess their vision of learning itself. While they may readily support time off for traditional face-to-face training, recognising smartphone usage during work as equally valuable for learning may require a shift in perspective.

A rethink for L&D teams

The change challenge equally applies to learning teams; we must think how to integrate this opportunity into our practice and approach. The mantra that performance-based learning frequently requires “resources not courses” ^[4] is vital in the transformation of learning design and delivery.

Learning teams that aspire to leverage smartphones for people development, must be avid users of their own devices personally experiencing the richness and potential of digital content, connections, AI, AR and VR.

Professor Daniel Miller, who led a UCL study documenting smartphone use in nine countries around the world, noted ^[5]:

“The smartphone is no longer just a device that we use, it’s become the place where we live.”

And, as learning is integral to live, the smartphone must therefore be a go-to development device

You can find out more about personalised learning in my books “Driving Performance Through Learning” and “Organizational Learning Communities” – details below.

Sources

[1] Elad, B. (2023) Cell Phones At Workplace Statistics And Facts 2023, Enterprise Apps Today. Available at: https://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/stats/cell-phones-at-workplace-statistics.html (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

[2] Treece, D. (2023) How Much Time Are Your Employees Wasting on Their Phones? Business News Daily. Available at: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10102-mobile-device-employee-distraction.html (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

[3] Duolingo (2023) The complete list of every duolingo language in 2023, Duoplanet. Available at: https://duoplanet.com/duolingo-languages-list/ (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

[4] Shackleton-Jones, N. (2017) It’s time to switch from courses to resources, HR Magazine. Available at: https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/features/it-s-time-to-switch-from-courses-to-resources (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

[5] Hearn, A. (2021) Smartphone is now ‘The place where we live’, anthropologists say, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/may/10/smartphone-is-now-the-place-where-we-live-anthropologists-say (Accessed: 14 May 2024).