Technology and hard work

Technology can be a boon to productivity -- but it can also become a crutch

By David Lykken
Special to MPA


I am obviously a big fan of technology. I write a lot about and am always on the lookout for ways to make myself more productive and generate more output with less effort.
 
On the other hand, I think technology can become a crutch. In many ways, we've allowed the "tools" of the Internet age to make us soft. We start to reason that we may not have to work as hard, because we have technology to do the work for us.
 
But, here's the thing: work is still work. Regardless of how many tools we have in our arsenal, if we aren't sweating we aren't working.
 
What if we worked just as hard -- even harder -- despite the fact that we have new technologies that make us more productive? How much more could we accomplish?
 
Our competitors are using technology as an excuse to lessen their load. Let's not fall into that trap; let's work even harder. When we show up to work, let's show up to work.

David Lykken is 40-year industry veteran who has been an owner operator of three mortgage banking companies and a software company. As co-founder and Managing Partner of Mortgage Banking Solutions, David consults on virtually all aspects of mortgage banking with special emphasis executive leadership development, corporate strategic direction and implementation as well as mergers & acquisitions. A regular contributor on CNBC and Fox Business News, David also hosts a successful weekly radio program called “Lykken On Lending” (www.LykkenOnLending.com) that is heard each Monday at noon (Central Standard Time) by thousands of mortgage professionals. Recently he started producing a 1-minute video called “Today’s Mortgage Minute” that appears on hundreds of television, radio and newspaper websites daily across America.