Could You Live Without A Mobile Phone?

Can you believe - I don’t have a mobile phone. For many years I was the man who bought the latest and greatest mobile phones – always the top end of the brands on offer, with the latest technology: the Sony Ericsson and all the iPhones up until the iPhone 4. Then, without planning to, I stopped. I had recently lost my expensive, relatively new, iPhone, and previous to that, my earlier iPhone had been stolen in Hong Kong. These were expensive losses for me, as being the first to own the latest technology often means a US$1,000 price tag.

Irrelevant of these losses, I also found owning an Apple product in China to be a hassle. They hadn't  approved the product for use, and unlocking it didn’t really work. Then I find I have to link it to iTunes to get it synchronized. I don’t want iTunes. Also China had blocked unapproved phones from sending or receiving texts.

Once I was without a phone for a short while, I started thinking about all the texts I’d send or receive, of which 99 percent were utterly superfluous. Suddenly, I found myself not overdoing the announcements, and not being interrupted at my work. I began to notice how everyone else was texting, scribbling and communicating while I was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. Reading, or writing a report, or planning strategy – not texting.

It also began to make me a better manager. Instead of micro-managing and texting to chase up small things, or even checking that something was being done (it usually was, rendering my constant texts to my staff both irritating and unneeded), I was able to step back and let my staff do their jobs. Curiously, there was no change in quality. They simply didn’t need me. That’s bad news for someone justifying their position, but good news for me. I found myself with more time. I became more relaxed.

Of course, you say, not having a mobile phone is inconvenient. You need to arrange to meet your wife, or attend a business dinner. So what’s wrong with making plans and saying “I’ll see you there at 7 o’clock?” We all used to do that. But then something happens of course. If my wife is late, she can, if seriously delayed, call the restaurant or bar and ask the staff to let me know.  Not being able to so easily make changes to arrangements with me means she has to be more committed to making her deadlines. I’ve found that true of my staff as well.

In fact, all business I can just as easily conduct via E-mail, even on the road, and as I travel regularly between different countries it’s the easiest way to reach me anyhow. I haven’t been any less productive in my business communications without a phone. In fact, I would suggest the opposite – its freed up more time and stress to allow me to be more relaxed and concentrate on what I really ought to be doing.

Plus, ultimately, everyone has a mobile phone. So on the three occasions I’ve actually needed to make a call over the past 10 months, I’ve been able to borrow one.