The Implications Of The On Demand Culture

Having access to resources 24/7 seems to be part of our daily lives nowadays. Movies, TV-programs, groceries, data, social media, phones…the list seems endless when it comes to products and services we can call upon on demand.

Remember the time when you had to be somewhere specific at a specific time to make a phone call? Or listen to music? Or watch your favorite TV show?  Not to forget the time when you had to show up physically to do your job? The internet has shown us that the world literally is at our fingertips. It is available in our bedrooms, on our laptops and on our smart phones. It is about bringing you things you want, when you want them.

The gradual transition into an on demand culture is almost seamless these days, but it should leave us a few questions for consideration.

On the positive side, the products and services on demand provide an opportunity for us to ultimately make a personal decision on when we want to do what, in short how we want to prioritize our time. The flexibility, autonomy and availability could be seen as the ultimate benefits of today’s society.

So what could possibly be on the other side of the fence? I can still recall the atmosphere when “everyone” was looking forward to a specific event, when people where meeting in person to share a specific moment and when you needed to plan your shopping because you didn’t have access all around the clock. There were intense moments of sharing as well as time slots when you could’t access certain services providing opportunities to do what you didn’t do when working or shopping, and it was easier to get other people to prioritize the same way you did.

One could argue that there are pros and cons when it comes to on demand coaching and professional development activities as well. The availability no matter where you are located in the world, the access to reusable content and the opportunity to decide the timing for yourself are obvious upsides. On the down side, this could ultimately lead to lack of accountability and a reinforcement of putting vital professional opportunities on hold if the accountability factor is not built into it properly.

Probably, the most effective way to benefit fully from coaching and professional development activities is the solution of combining on demand offerings with accountability checks built in. In order to remain successful, to which extent are you holding yourself accountable when you decide the deadline yourself?