Less than a Minute Life Lesson-2407 Character and Competency

Is Technology Impacting Cognition?

Before we get into the topic let’s define cognition “The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses”

The reason behind writing this article?

I have been using cab services for the past 5 years and I am able to witness change in Attitude and cognition skills.

Classifying Taxi Drivers

Before I would like to assert my point “Is Technology Impacting Cognition?” I would like to classify into three types

Veterans- Non-tech world Drivers- These drivers are in the age group of 40 and above who had been driving metered Taxi and they are new to the world of APPs. These drivers are to large extent well versed with routes and short cuts. Many of them have built their career in the same occupation and have accepted driving as their career. 

These drivers believed the business is driven by goodwill and hence they were customer focused.

When we come across their cabs, all we need to do is mention the destination and relax, rest is taken care and the APP is used as mode for booking the cab and closing the meter.

The other side of them

Some of them face it difficult to get used to the technology and they develop negative Attitude towards modern cab service and start finding fault with App Based cab operators. Hence their ability to learn technology is difficult and impacts their cognition skills towards adaptability.

Adapters- Those who are adapting to Apps- These drivers are in the age group of 30-40 who would driven metered taxi for some time and migrated to the world of Apps. These drivers are some extent well versed with routes and getting used to the technology. 

The other side of them

Since they know that technology is going to drive their business, they started focusing more on learning the technology and hence their dependent on technology for routes are going up & their interaction with customer is less. This attitude has reduced their ability to develop their memory and reduced their emotional intelligence towards relating with people

Smartys- Those who started with Apps

These are the drivers who belong to the age group of less than 30 who came into workplace with smart phones and one of the criteria to get a job was the ability to operate Apps. These drivers came with valid license but with less knowledge on routes and ability to handle customers.

These drivers believe that business is driven by technology and customers are tech savvy hence paid more attention to adapting towards technology.

The other side of them
Too dependent on route maps and hence interacts less with the customers, these brands them as customer unfriendly drivers. The ability to stop and enquire is very less which results in delay in reaching the destination. Over a period of time, they don’t train their memory and hence they become slave to the technology and their ability to communicate becomes lesser.

In such situation their cognition skills related to working with people and for the people deters, which result reduces their social skills.

Who is right?

•  Are veterans, right?
•  Are adapters right 
• Are smartys, right?

The issue is not about who is right?

The issue is:

·         Will the Attitude of Veterans results in losing jobs?

·         Will Attitude of Adapters reduce their skills and knowledge they had gained in dealing with people?

·         Will Attitude of Smartys result in customer defocus & lose one’s human faculty called thinking and relating

Is this article related to cab drivers or is it related to us?

Does this article reflect some of your team members?
Does article talk about the people at various levels in the organisation?

I am leaving it you, but the time has come to relook into ourselves irrespective of whether we are veterans, adapters or smartys to find solutions to balance both technology & human competencies like thinking, reflecting, memory, relating with people. Etc.

  Is there a solution to balance both Technology and Human Competencies?

The answer is with all the three

·         Let veterans teach human competencies to adapters and smartys

·         Let Veterans learn how to adapt from Adapters and learn Technology from Smartys
·         Let Smartys learn from Adapters and Veterans

When competencies are within why should we search it outside?

Final words

·         If we are Veterans, let Technology not demotivate us

·         If we are Adapters let Technology not reduce our knowledge and skills which we built in dealing with people

·         If we are Smartys Let Technology not blind our ability to relate with people

Let technology change but not our ability to use basic human competencies

M.L.Narendra Kumar