Recently while teaching a class on enhancing networking skills, I polled the adult professional participants on the number one thing that made them crazy about their workplace.   After a bit of debate they indicated it was a lack of communication from administration to the workers, and the same communication deficits from the workers to their supervisors.  I then asked them "How many of you are overly dependent on your email to communicate?"  In this class of around twenty-five, 85% of the hands in the room when up.  I couldn't help but be struck by the obvious contradiction in the exercise.

Folks recognize communication is their primary problem, yet they fail to see that the means of communication they are most dependent on is actually contributing to their problem! 

Electronic communication is great for sending basic information, sharing written documents, and arranging meeting, events, and confirming appointments.  Just last week I was talking to a client, when I wanted to share a document.  I hit a couple buttons suddenly we were looking at the same information.  It is truly amazing that we can share information like this with such speed.  Email and electronic communication has changed the way we do business, brought families together when they are apart, and improved the opportunity to meet and communicate immediately with people all over the world.  It is truly revolutionary!  But with any revolution, there are causalities.

Loss of integrity: Written language conveys concepts, and provides information, but is seriously lacking in the nuances, tone, clarity, and integrity that speaking face-to-face and even video offers.  We can get close to what we want to say, but no matter how good of a writer you are, seeing the person saying it delivers far more meaning.  Facial expression, body stance, tone, tempo, and volume all provide a rich context for communication that texting and email just can't achieve.

Loss of interpersonal skills: Counselors, teachers, college advisors, HR professionals, and managers tell me that more and more employees are coming in for interviews and are inappropriate due to their inability to read facial and social cues, and understanding the nuances of engaging in face-to-face communication.  With so much time spent on email and electronic communication, many individuals are loosing the ability to communicate interpersonally.  Some individuals are either over reacting or under reacting with their peers because of their inability to accurately read social and facial cues!  In many work sites the use of personal technology by employees is so pervasive that policies are being written removing cell phones and texting devices from the work area, to keep the employees from being constantly distracted.

Increased social isolation: In one high school I visited, the school had decided to go totally electronic.  This meant that every student in the school had a laptop.  In previous years the cafeteria was like any normal school cafeteria; loud, chaotic, and interactive.  Today the climate of the cafeteria is more like a library.  Students are quietly working on their computers and are limited in their person-to-person interactions.  There are even students emailing other students at the same lunch table!  Previously young people would go out after school and get together with friends but are now at home on the computer.  In the workplace work groups that would develop relationships and trust over time working, are now spending far less time in face-to-face interactions, and more of their communication is via electronic media.  People are even emailing each other from neighboring cubicles!

Inability to work in teams:  In speaking with a manager from a local defense company, he indicated his biggest problem is trying to get his new employees to effectively work together.  He said they are great at finding information, facts, and preparing reports, but don't ask them to work together to solve a problem or come up with new ideas.  To effectively work together time needs to be spent in quality interactions.  With the over use of technology, less interpersonal interactions are occurring resulting in more fragmented teams.

Lack of creativity:  Many managers today report that their new hires come to them willing to work, but want every aspect of their job laid out for them.  And, when they can't find an immediate answer they don't seem to have the ability or patience to struggle through finding solutions.  

Does this sound like you, your employees, or your organization?  So what can we do about it?  In my next newsletter I'll outline five quick things you can begin to do today to improve the communication in your office, or organization.

 Be well,

John