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In this Issue: volume 9, no. 4
8 Warning Signs you Over-rely on Email
Your Body Language Shapes Who you Are
More info on working with people

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Welcome! Summer has spun by in a whirl of fascinating client projects and backyard patio construction. They've all turned out well, I'm happy to say. In this issue I'm focusing on two concerns people ask me about often: balancing electronic with "real" communication and improving individual effectiveness. Let me know how these ideas work for you. -DB

Does Your Company Over-rely on Email?
Eight Warning Signs to Look For
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Eating lunch at desk

I asked a group of managers the other day if they felt they were communicating enough with their employees. Almost all of them said, "Yes--I am constantly sending emails to update and remind people of stuff."

 

When I asked them about how much time they spend in face-to-face communication, several argued that "face time" is just too time consuming. "I save it for when I have to 'speak to' someone about his or her performance," one offered, and the others pretty much agreed.

 

The next day, while talking with several employees who report to these same managers, I raised the question about amount of communication. The gist of their comments was this: "There is a ton of email. Most of it is too detailed, and I don't always understand it. I just try to do my best. I figure I'll hear about it if I do something wrong."

 

 "What would happen if you just went to your manager and asked for clarification?" I asked them. "Well, A) he's usually too busy or unavailable to talk, and B) I don't want to look stupid. Also, I don't have time to go find him [or her] and have a chat."

 

Both perspectives make sense, but there's clearly something missing from this picture. Since words alone account for just 7 percent of communication, there could actually be a lot missing.

 

Eight Warning Signs

 

Here are eight warning signs that your company might have lost the balance between the efficiency of electronic communication and the potentially time-consuming exchange of face-to-face communication:

  1. People eat lunch alone at their desks. It's unhealthy, unsanitary, and just SAD!  
  2. People routinely use email for things better handled face-to-face: creative problem-solving, discussion of ... 

Read the rest of this article here.  

In the eye-popping new research category... 
Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Click to watch social psychologist and Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy describe her surprising findings about nonverbal communication:

Amy Cuddy TED Talk
And finally...

Diana Brooks Associates helps people and organizations improve leadership, communication and teamwork.

A speaker, trainer and coach, Diana provides free initial consultations. Contact her at 413.458.8263 or at www.dianabrooksassociates.com.