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October 14, 2003

Computer Tutoring for CEOs

Hal of PalmStation forwarded a great CNN story: Execs who are tech dummies seek secret training which talks about CEOs and high-level corporate executives who really know nothing about computers, but are afraid to be seen as weak by admitting it.

"You'd be surprised by what they don't know," Shaheen says. "And they're not comfortable asking the IT person in their company because then they show weakness to their staff."

Furthering the problem are secretaries and assistants who tended to handle computer work for their bosses, leading these execs toward "Executivus Obsoletus" status.

Much of the ineptitude is blamed on doting secretaries who handle e-mail and other computer chores for their bosses, computer trainers say. And executives often are too embarrassed and intimidated to attend computer classes with clerks and secretaries.

It's telling though, that this is becoming a market for computer consultants. I have experienced higher-ups being not technically savvy, though in my case I was the one doing the helping and the higher-up was happy to have me do so (not in secret).

I think it also indicates that technology is now so thoroughly infused into business, that CEOs and higher-up mukety-muks are feeling the pressure to conform to the new computer-oriented world. It would seem that a CEOs luxury of not knowing what's going on technology-wise is cutting it less and less.

However, I do feel for these CEOs, since I think coming into computers now, as a newbie non-user would be very hard. That's a bit of a knock on computer designers who've made software and hardware more complex instead of simpler and more intuitive to use.

Well, except for Apple and PalmSource anyway. :-)

October 14, 2003 5:49 PM | Technology | add to del.icio.us