Our Ability to Notice

By: Joe Lazar, Co-Founder & Principal

For years, I wore a smartwatch every day. It tracked my steps, monitored my workouts and reminded me when it was time to stand, move or close another activity ring. It was useful, convenient and deeply integrated into my routine. Then, except for workouts and bike rides I still wanted to track, I stopped wearing it. I went back to an old analog watch, one that tells me the time and, at most, the date.

What surprised me was how quickly that simple change gave me a sense of time back. The watch on my wrist was no longer asking for my attention. There were no messages, calendar alerts, goal reminders or encouraging nudges informing me that I was almost there. When I looked down, I saw the time. Nothing more. And because there was nothing else to react to, I found myself more focused on the person, task or moment in front of me.

The bigger surprise was that I did not become less active. I still walk the dog. I still ride my bike. I’m even planning to start playing tennis. The difference is that I am doing these things because I am aware that I want and need to do them, not because a device has prompted me. Somewhere along the way, many of us began outsourcing not only our tracking, but some of our awareness. The watch reminded us to move until we began waiting for the watch to tell us when movement was necessary.

That realization feels especially important for those of us who have spent decades working with technology. We have watched mobile phones become smartphones, internet connections become constant and wearable devices become increasingly personal. Now we are moving toward glasses with cameras, artificial intelligence embedded in everyday products and systems designed to anticipate what we need before we ask. Each development may be useful, but usefulness is not the same thing as necessity.

AI and connected technology can help us analyze information, improve our writing, create images and work more efficiently. They can augment what we are capable of doing. But they should not replace our ability to notice, choose and act for ourselves. Sometimes the most productive technology is the one that quietly does a single job, and then leaves us alone.

By telling me less, my analog watch has helped me notice more.

Omni Strategy Partners helps organizations step back from the noise, notice what matters and make more intentional choices about their technology, operations and next steps. Let’s start a conversation.