Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

iPhones, US Congress and Seven Habits

Oct 23, 2008 by Steven Keith

Today I heard that the US Congress is to switch from RIM's Blackberry to Apple's iPhone. This is HUGE! Sure, they are simply testing the platform right now but I'll bet you they go toward the light. 

I recently traded my Blackberry in for an iPhone so I know what they are in for.

Now, I am far from being a congressman or a page but I know what the iPhone does to people. It makes people who aren't ADD a little bit ADD. It would make Steven Covey procrastinate. So, to help, I am writing the 7 habits of new creative iPhone owners to share with the US Congress. Here goes:

1.  Be selective. The iPhone comes in 8 and 16 Gig sizes and they fill up faster than you think. Don't put your whole music or phote collection on there. You're going to need to be frugal. Control your device, don't let it control you. Use self-determination, choice and the power to respond to stimulus, conditions and circumstances of all the applications out there. 

2. Begin with the fun in mind. Sure you're a congressperson and you have to look busy and all but this thing is going to blow your mind and you will be caught smiling hunkered over the glow of its illumination.  You're going to feel like you need to concentrate on relevant activities, to build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful--but it won't work. Accept the fact that this thing is really fun and so usable that you'll wonder what you did without it. That's a promise.

3. First things first and second things first too. When organizing and implementing activities of your day, you'll notice that there are applications (located on iTunes) that will help with this. I use the alarm, the calendar and two applications that are simple as they are life-changing. First is a simple To-Do list. There are 5 of them that all work great. The other one is a simple voice recording tool. "Note to self: Remember to give Dick Cheney the finger today."  I also use the iPod to gather great podcasts in addtion to my kick-ass music collection. There are MIT Open Courseware podcasts that allow you to take MIT classes (I am following Sloan School classes, Neurochemistry classes and Legal IP podcasts.) I am also addicted to Harvard Business Ideacast, Wharton Management podcasts and Real Time with Bill Maher. I listen to these while on the treadmill. Trust me, as a congressperson, you need to ingest a little more creative chit chat.

4. Think Win-squared. Winning is better when more than one wins. Using the headphone with built in speaker coupled with the elegance of the phone interface will enable you to return more calls from your constituents. Because it is so much easier than the Blackberry. AND there is text messaging so easy you can be IM'ing (instant messaging) your house homies in a heartbeat getting more done in less time. I would like to see text messaging play a bigger role in legislation. 

5. Understand and be understood. Twitterific is the greatest tool on the iPhone. It is Twitter for the people on the go. If you aren't aware of Twitter, Mrs. Congresswoman, you will be once you have your iPhone. You will be able to microblog and keep all of us back home aware of where you are on an issue and what we think of what you are thinking. All this with fewer words and immediately distributed to anyone who follows you. Scary at first, then simply revolutionary. 

6. Feel Cool. Spread the Cool. You have an iPhone, dude. Feel creative. Urge your counterparts to be more creative. Dream up ways to communicate better using the phone, Instant Message, Camera, Twitter, the built in Web browser and so on. We could use some fresh thinking from y'all. We also can send a message to the world that CONGRESS is using technology, creatively. 

7. Encourage each other. Use the iPhone to lift everyone's spirits. You need that right now. And God knows your constituents need it from you. There are applications that you can use on the iPhone allowing you to take a picture (the iPhone has a good camera) add a caption and immediately send as a postcard. Share these with the public. We want to know that you are human and that you have a sense of humor in addition to a sense of duty. Sharpen the human side and let us all know a little more about who you are and what you are thinking. There is nothing better than the iPhone to help you with that. 
Tags: 7 congress covey habits iphone
  • Marc Harkness 12:02 p.m. Oct 24, 2008

    Great comments, Steve. Though never having used a Blackberry, I can't comment on what it can or can't do. But I'll ennumerate what my iPhone has allowed me to do --

    - Freed me from my desktop, or even my laptop machine, so that I'm no longer waiting for the client confirmation email at the end of the day; instead, I'm leaving at more reasonable hours to take advantage of the day and of mind-enriching activities such as exercise or hikes or drawing classes.

    - Allowed me to micro-blog while on the go, through Twitter; the combination of Twitter and Facebook has enhanced my connectivity, professionally and personally.

    - Another frequently-used app allows me to check river levels for whitewater kayaking while on the road, without having to pull over; it's greatly impacted my adventuring.

    - The scheduling and calendar portability -- well, I suppose PDAs and blackberries could do that too.

    Of course some of the apps out there are embarrassingly useless. The games, especially (from my perspective), or the ones telling you about restaurants nearby. Really, I'm not impressed with most of them.

  • Andre Blackman 1:14 a.m. Oct 24, 2008

    Now you REALLY have be wanting to get an iPhone!! I have been on the fence about it until today at a conference for Health 2.0 where I saw plenty of people using it. Great breakdown and very compelling!

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