Steve Radick has an excellent post on GovLoop about how to deal with the digital divide in your office. Pointing to his mom's lack of interest in replacing her VCR, Radick realized that others who are not that interested in technology were not the anomaly; he was. "While using Twitter may seem almost passé to me and the other social media 'evangelists' out there, it's important to remember that not only does the vast majority of America not use Twitter, the vast majority of your colleagues don't either," he writes. "And like my mom, they probably don't care or see why they should."
So what do you do when you're faced with questions from your colleagues like, "What's a browser?" or "Why would I bother with sending you a text when I can just call you?" Radick recommends empathizing instead of criticizing. "Use them as sounding boards for your next great social media or tech idea," he writes. "After all, even if you have the greatest tool, it's not going to mean anything if the nerds like you and me are the only ones using it."
What tech conflicts have arisen in your office? How have you addressed them, and more importantly, how have you worked to bring others on board?
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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