New survey finds our love for technology may contribute to a loss of productivity and increased stress.

Business people today are enthusiastic users of new technology but struggle to balance personal and professional demands on their time. This "Tech Rich: Time Poor" workforce is unable to translate the potential of technology into increased personal productivity, according to a new international survey.

The survey of over 6,000 people, conducted by worldwide training company, Priority Management, finds the use of technology is growing dramatically. From Internet use to cell phones to wireless devices, technology is omnipresent in today's workplace. But there is strong evidence that individuals don't have the skills to derive the productivity potential from this technology.

"Technology has accelerated the pace of work, contributed to long working hours and generated high levels of stress. The result is 'tech stress", says Dan Stamp, Chairman of Priority Management. "We find that management skills amnesia is pervasive. People have forgotten the importance of such basics as planning and goal-setting while rushing to acquire the latest technology tools. Workers haven't had time to adapt and evolve to a tech rich environment."

"Technology on its own won't improve your personal productivity," says Stamp. "If technology was meeting its promise, why do people still feel so overwhelmed by work? It's because they don't know how to make the technology work for them. Instead, they run the risk of being slaves to technology. It's making them busier but not necessarily more productive and certainly not happier."

The online survey of more than 6,000 business people around the world revealed that 92 per cent of respondents said they were not using new technologies at their maximum capacity. Forty per cent said technology was not helping them to achieve personal goals. And an alarming 25 per cent said they started using new technologies not to make them more productive but just to keep up with technology trends. This is costing businesses worldwide billions of dollars in capital expenditures with a very limited ROI.

The survey also found there is more stress than satisfaction in today's workplace. Sixty per cent of respondents feel stressed two days or more a week, and a scant five per cent say they feel a sense of personal accomplishment at the end of every day.

"Technology makes us accessible at all times but we are just starting to realize that just because you can be accessible, doesn't mean you should be," explains Stamp. "The lines between our professional and personal lives are blurring thanks to cell phones, pagers, e-mail and the wireless revolution. Our survey shows that our personal lives are the losers."

The urge to be accessible and trendy could be creating an addiction to technology. Priority Management offers a 12-step program to overcome technology addiction and improve personal productivity.

Priority Management is a worldwide training company with 100 offices in 15 countries. They have successfully trained more than one million graduates in Priority programs. These programs help companies and people be more effective in and out of the office by providing tools, processes and discipline. Clients range from small business entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies.

For more information contact:

Priority Management, Canada (604) 214-7772