I am a dinosaur Published July 17, 2007 By Lt. Col. Andrew Stark 305th Logistics Readiness Squadron MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- I am a dinosaur. I admit it, and in fact, I like it that way. I really dislike computers. That means writing this article is especially painful, because I am writing it on a computer. I have something like an allergic reaction to technology. I don't have that reaction to most people. I grew up playing outdoors with other kids or playing basketball, pinball and air hockey inside -- not video games. That may color my perception, but I think we have come to use technology as a crutch. In many ways, we use technology as an excuse not to do some things in person that ought to be done in person. I notice that I, and many others, frequently use e-mail to pass along information when we should really have a smell-the-garlic-on-your-breath kind of conversation. I've noticed that this is often true if the communication is difficult, because it means telling someone "no" or pointing out areas where improvement is necessary. What do I mean? I've notified people of short-notice and undesirable taskings by e-mail. I've sent out "congratulations to the winners of the ..." and called it good rather than stepping up to the individuals who didn't win to tell them the good things they did and what they could do to compete better in the future. My parents, my bosses and the senior NCOs 10 years ago taught me better than that. I am also guilty of training people in the Air Force on how to use a computer rather than educating them on how and why to do a job. I did that once to an entire career field, when I worked in an office that developed and fielded software for the Air Force. When I returned to that career field in the "operational Air Force," I saw very clearly that the Air Force suffered. The individuals in that career field frequently worked harder and longer to accomplish less than they would have if we invested the time and energy up front in proper education. The folks who were trained before the new program came out could answer questions about why we did certain things or why they were done in certain ways. They could make adjustments if they experienced problems. They could deal with things in the real-world happening out of order. They could make recommendations to change regulations to make things better. They could change the way things were done in a given situation based on a strong understanding of what was going on. They understood how their actions or inaction impacted people outside their offices. The folks we trained to use the computer could only respond to questions by saying, "I have to put that in the computer or it won't work," or, "I don't know why, but I'm supposed to put that in." These folks are stumped if the network goes down, the power is off or anything else happens to disrupt the flow of electrons. At least they were until they figured out a work-around during some contingency. As supervisors, as parents, as friends, as people, do all you can to communicate in person. People need and react positively to personal interaction. Speak to individuals directly whenever you can. Talk to people about what is being done and what needs to be done, not just how to operate a computer or some other machine. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it is often uncomfortable. But, it is also effective and lays a foundation to help build trust and understanding, so when you can't deal directly with an individual, they trust your e-mail. How do you define irony? How about, "I'm supposed to e-mail this to my group staff, but the network is down right now." It's true. I hope I can print this, so I can hand-carry it -- but I've got a network printer, too.