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Across a fifty-year career in projects and project management I have sensed many changes with old and new technologies – pre and during digital – arriving and departing – their availabilities and uses – in personal and business situations.
But the predominant sense has been of the changing sounds. Here are a few of such acoustic reflections:
I remember the “swish” of new parallel motion drawing boards on plastic film – rather than wooden tee-squares over paper; while working in imperial, decimal and mixed dimensions. Numerically multilingual!
The ticks and buzzes of groundbreaking photocopiers that speedily grabbed paper! Printed on both sides! In colour! With stapling! Amazing!
The “crunch” of punching paper and the “squeeze” for wire binding for reports and documents. Simple presentable efficiency!
The “ticking” of fax machines with paper greyness that turned yellow. Ubiquitous. And then they were gone!
Soi t is NO longer a surprise to hear the ringing of a mobile telephone the size and weight of a brick in a public space – with the recipient proudly announcing “I’m not in the office” or similar. Shocking!
The “clicks” of people setting up their laptops from their backpacks at a meeting – rather than taking files and pens from their briefcases. Background “typing” during virtual meetings.
The absolute quietness of open plan offices and studios where everyone is hunched over their keyboards – without any audible conversation. So, it is longer possible to learn from overhearing the verbals – on the landlines fixed on each desk – before they became workstations.
The sensation that people were “talking to themselves” when in fact they were using a Dictaphone.
The “shush” sounds of a polaroid camera shutter and printer.
Current: enjoying being active while semi-retired including as principal of Dashdot.
Former: including APM, Buro Four, Laing, KF Baker and Partners, Arup Associates.
Tom Taylor is known as:
A popular, confident and energetic speaker and broadcaster.
A prolific author and publisher on innovative business and original management issues.
An experienced and enthusiastic lecturer and course leader.
And an award-winning, highly experienced manager of projects, advisor and consultant.
He has been a guest lecturer at a number of universities, a Visiting Professor at Salford University and an external examiner at UCL.
Tom has been a central figure in the Association for Project Management (APM) as past President and vice-President, former APM Chairman, a former committee member and chairman of London Branch. He has achieved Chartered Project Professional (ChPP), Registered Project Professional (RPP) and Certificated Project Manager as well as being an Honorary Fellow, recipient of the inaugural President’s Medal and of APM’s prestigious Sir Monty Finneston Award.
He is principal of Dashdot – a consultancy and publishing vehicle – please see www.dashot.co.uk
Tom is a founding partner, initial chairman and occasional advisor to Buro Four – an eminent project management outfit based in UK.
He has been an active supporter of Member Associations (MAs) of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), Young Crews and associated events.
Tom has attended, spoken at and hosted PM events in UK and around the globe. He is an Honorary Fellow or Member of project management bodies in Finland, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Portugal, Spain and UK plus IPMA.
New Technologies – that sounds interesting
COMMENTARY
By Tom Taylor
Eastbourne and London, UK
Across a fifty-year career in projects and project management I have sensed many changes with old and new technologies – pre and during digital – arriving and departing – their availabilities and uses – in personal and business situations.
But the predominant sense has been of the changing sounds. Here are a few of such acoustic reflections:
More…
To read entire article, click here
How to cite this work: Taylor, T. (2025). New Technologies – that sounds interesting, commentary, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue II, February. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/pmwj149-Feb2025-Taylor-new-technologies-that-sounds-interesting.pdf
About the Author
Tom Taylor
Eastbourne and London, UK
Current: enjoying being active while semi-retired including as principal of Dashdot.
Former: including APM, Buro Four, Laing, KF Baker and Partners, Arup Associates.
Tom Taylor is known as:
He has been a guest lecturer at a number of universities, a Visiting Professor at Salford University and an external examiner at UCL.
Tom has been a central figure in the Association for Project Management (APM) as past President and vice-President, former APM Chairman, a former committee member and chairman of London Branch. He has achieved Chartered Project Professional (ChPP), Registered Project Professional (RPP) and Certificated Project Manager as well as being an Honorary Fellow, recipient of the inaugural President’s Medal and of APM’s prestigious Sir Monty Finneston Award.
He is principal of Dashdot – a consultancy and publishing vehicle – please see www.dashot.co.uk
Tom is a founding partner, initial chairman and occasional advisor to Buro Four – an eminent project management outfit based in UK.
He has been an active supporter of Member Associations (MAs) of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), Young Crews and associated events.
Tom has attended, spoken at and hosted PM events in UK and around the globe. He is an Honorary Fellow or Member of project management bodies in Finland, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Portugal, Spain and UK plus IPMA.
A current personal profile of Tom is available at www.tomtaylor.info and he may be contacted at ttaylor@dashdot.co.uk
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