Prior to 20th century the society was generally pre-occupied with the past – studying history, classics, way of education and reflecting on the past. In the 20th century, society in general became obsessed with the future, industry, technology which is reflected in the pace of inventions that happened. 21st century so far is about the present. The Now! – By Nova Spivack

In business, it has always been a challenge to get all the information needed to make good decisions.  Getting this important information “right away” is an even bigger challenge.  Over the years “Right Away”, or “Now”, has gotten a lot shorter, a lot denser and a lot faster.  Now has gone from within a week, to within a day, to within an hour, and sometimes even to within seconds. So the challenge in the “new now” really becomes one of connectivity and attention. To get information in the new now, business users must always be connected and be able to differentiate between everything coming their way, whether it is data (social networks), information (collaboration networks), or knowledge (business networks).

The Problem

We are constantly chasing a chain of emails, phone calls and voicemails, often to just make one decision or give a simple approval to keep things moving forward. Disconnect is widespread in business and impacts productivity.  Our current set of tools doesn’t fit the nature of how quickly we move and need to make decisions. Our  business communication tools are not representative of the new now. They are hinged on old methods of communicating because that is how we are conditioned.  As receptive language matures before expressive, so is the case of what we expect versus how we act. We want answers, solutions and progress now,  but we aren’t using tools that allow us to give that type of response back.  Lack of  being in the “New Now” means we often miss out on timely execution of a critical step toward progress; which generally translates to some kind of missed opportunity or loss.

A Change in Expectations

Mobile devices have drastically changed the way in which we communicate.  Think of how we used to use the phone 15 years ago and how we use it now.  When we call someone we expect them to pick up, but if we have to leave a voicemail, we expect a lag time between when we call and when they will get the message and respond. When we text someone, we expect an answer instantly.  The time in which we deem acceptable to respond is diminishing because our communication can be instant. As our expectations evolve so must our tools.

In our personal lives, many consumer grade mobile chat tools (e.g. What’s App, SnapChat, and Instagram) are transforming the way we communicate with our family and friends. That’s because these tools embody the “now“ notion much better than emails, voicemails or even text messages.  The new now demands the same of us as business professionals.

The New Now and Daily Life 

To illustrate the point further, let’s take the case of the mobile app “Pirq”. Pirq releases a limited number of coupons for dining at a nearby restaurant for a specific window of time. You must act quickly due to the number of deals available and the time in which you can use them. Once you decide that a deal looks good, you may need time to consult your budget, schedule and dining companions you wish to use the Pirq with. There are several factors that go into what seems like a simple decision.  Fortunately, mobile phones combined with the new generation of tools enable you to get the group of friends together, check schedules and make that reservation in real-time with very little effort. If you didn’t have access to all those tools on your mobile device, you’d have to wait for hours before you could make a decision and by that time, all the deals may have been snatched up leaving you with nothing but a wasted hour of time and no lunch plans.

Bringing the New Now to Business

To leverage all the tools and networks at your disposal and embrace this opportunity of now, you have to be willing to harness the functionality of real time communication and adopt it as part of your business practice.  It has become crucial for business professionals to communicate, collaborate and stay informed in real time.  If we use these new tools in our personal life to make getting things done easier, why are we not applying the same principals to business?  If the three or four things you consult to make a decision on whether you want to save 20% on lunch today can be made simpler by using tools that enable the new NOW, imagine the impact adopting the new NOW can have on your productivity and your company’s bottom-line!

Our mobile devices are like an appendage, a lifeline. When you accidently leave your mobile device at home you have to admit a wave of panic hits you and you think, “How will I stay connected to my world?”  With our mobile phones, we can access everything we need and communicate pertinent information to the important people we are connected to personally and professionally, now. We are dependent on these devices to keep us moving forward in our day.

Office Chat is the new now. It gives you instant, private and secure access to your colleagues no matter where they are. You can not only send an instant message to individuals, but you can engage in group chat, annotate images, and share video; all from your mobile device or PC. You don’t have to wait to check email, check your intranet site, schedule a call, or even get your laptop out. You can do it now. And now is the most powerful tool you have when it comes to the bottom line.

This new now’s challenge is where the opportunity lies.  Interested in seeing how you get the “new now” into your business? Signup to get started!