Technology is not progress without compassion and ethics.

To me this means a lot of things - from securely storing and responsibly using customer information, to treating your employees as people instead of assets. Technology by its very nature dehumanizes people and replaces relationships with process. It is the responsibility of each of us to make an effort to maintain the source of all innovation and exploration - our humanity.

Sounds grandiose and philosophical, but it means things as simple as saying "hi" to that person in the office down the hall for no reason other than to say hello. It means asking your staff how their weekend was, and actually listening to the answer. It means calling your boss to say you'll be late instead of sending her a text saying "gon b l8. cu in 10".

As employers, it is more important than ever to ensure we recognize that our people have obligations and lives outside of the office, that unfortunately will in no way directly increase our profits.

In this 24x7 environment, we must endeavour to distinguish between necessity and desirability - Is it necessary to have your staff available via email, cell, and IM 24x7? Usually not. Is it desirable? Of course!

But by keeping employees chronically connected, we are creating a situation where we have removed or diminished other parts of their lives, and in so doing, I believe it becomes our responsibility to replace those missing pieces, and very few companies are up to that mammoth and sensitive task.

In short - less text, more talk.