Do We Manage Our ‘Screens’ - Or Do Our Screens Manage Us? - Part 3

By Pascal Dennis

Last time I asked how to manage our screens, so as to avoid a dreadful dumbing down of society?

As always, countermeasures depend on a

1. Clear objective and understanding of the gap, and
2. Good grasp of the situation gained through experience, as well as, reflection

Let me build on my musical example.

What should be happening?

1. Pascal wants to make music that’s enjoyable for both himself and others (forced) to listen to it
2. Pascal wants to build his capability to play the piano

What’s actually happening?

1. Yamaha’s splendid keyboards allow Pascal to create enjoyable music – without the slog of daily practice
2. Pascal’s capability does not grow

Clearly, to meet both objectives – enjoyable music, and greater musical skills – I need more than splendid technology.

I need to find a capable teacher/sensei who will guide me to greater competence through the old, old way, (well described by Dan Coyle in The Talent Code):

Our Learning Recipe (Talent Code):

1. Go slow,
2. Stop and fix (mentor), and
3. Repeat

Which is exactly, what I’ve done. The past year, Jay and I have worked through piano fundamentals & I’m way more capable than I was.

In summary, anchored in the eternal learning paradigm, the talent code, if you will, our screens are a blessing.

They can accelerate our progress in any skill. (For example, I can watch Nat Cole on Youtube performing a tune I’m learning.)

Disconnected from the talent code, they can make us stupid.

Caveat emptor.

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Do We Manage Our ‘Screens’ - Or Do Our Screens Manage Us? - Part 2

By Pascal Dennis

I asked this question last time and suggested our screens manage us, more than we manage them.

What’s the impact? Depth – we lose the ability to concentrate. As a result important skills can atrophy.

Here’s a non-business example. Music is my avocation and my office is home to keyboards and guitars.

(If I don’t play every day, I don’t feel right.)

Yamaha, that splendid organization, has done wonders with guitar, piano and keyboard technology. (That entire industry is full of marvelous companies – Kawai, Casio & others)

In fact, my Yamaha keyboards allow to simulate an entire band or orchestra. Yamaha literally makes me a one-man band.

Why then should I practice guitar and piano?

In the same way, recording technology can automatically fix out-of-pitch singing.

Why then should we learn how to sing well?

I can go on, of course. My computer corrects my spelling and grammar. Why then should I learn to spell and put words together into coherent sentences?

What to do? How to avoid a dreadful dumbing down?

More next time.

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Alpha & Omega – Reprise

By Pascal Dennis

Interesting set of experiences these past few weeks.

Good part first.

Yamaha & the Musical Instrument Industry

As you may know, I am guitar & piano player of some dubious repute.

My Yamaha DGX-620 keyboard has been acting up - (electronic problems).

I took it into local Yamaha dealer/office. They quickly & efficiently recorded my observations & processed the repair order.

A week later, as promised, they called me with an accurate diagnosis -- and told me they'd fixed the unit free of charge.

"You still have a few months left on your [5-year] warranty."

I've been happily playing this splendid instrument the past week.

As an aside, Yamaha keyboards, guitars, pianos and electronics have delighted me for years.

I'm told their Hakamatsu factory is one of the world's great Lean sites.

I feel the same way about Yamaha as I do about Lexus. Both are simply a joy.

Let me add that Yamaha's competitors - Casio, Kawai, Roland and others - are also uniformly splendid.

The musical instrument & recording technology industry keeps breaking new boundaries in quality and value.

Makes you feel good to be alive. "Wow - that is magnificent! How'd they do that!?"

Well done & please continue!


Our Dear Banks & Credit Card Providers

On the other side of the ledger - our dear banks & credit card providers.

Both our business credit card providers have in the past few months managed to waste many hours of our time.

Their Three Stooges-like antics include:

• Sending replacement cards to non-existent addresses,
• Putting unnecessary holds on purchases, based on faulty information, and
• Repeatedly failing to live up to promises to fix our problems

I won't bother naming the organizations in question. I doubt they are unique in their industry.

Don't want to be misunderstood. There are a handful of fine banks & credit card providers for whom customer service is a core value. Wells Fargo & Amex come to mind.

Here's the irony. Virtually every bank representative we've spoken with has tried to help us. It's not the people - who are doing their very best, and who are often terrific.

To paraphrase Bill Clinton: It's the system, stupid.

Hat's off the organizations who care enough about their customers, team members & society, to seek, to strive and not to yield.

Best,

Pascal