Tag Archives: communication

Communication & Technology

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Communications takes many forms, especially in the work place and with the technology today. We see the term unified communications a lot and using a single platform to do all of your business communications. But the simple fact of the matter is that unless you make a concerted effort to learn them and use them, all of the widgets in the world are just an extension of your inability to communicate at the end of the day. It seems that a person’s inability to communicate can be amplified when these widgets are available.

So how do you solve this. Frequent meetings? Frequent conference calls? Frequent…? Maybe, but mostly I have found leading by example is the best way. Making the extra effort to arrange frequent calls with those that are not in the immediate office helps a lot. It shows the team that you are committed to just that, the team. It goes beyond the daily tasks and business activities. Being personal opens up the channels to effectively communicate on a more regular basis, in ANY form. It gives a sense of comfort to the other person that you do really care and are not just a drone of the business. Being able to shoot the breeze with your team offers camaraderie and in turn makes everyone want to act more like a team.

Communicating clearly is even more important. If you do not articulate what is needed or wanted, then there might as well be no communication, as it just confuses and muddies any situation. And it goes both ways. You must make sure you are clear to others and make sure you are clear on what they articulate. Taking simple steps and tweaks in your processes will make a huge improvement in how you interact with your team, employees, colleagues, and bosses.

Communication’s most powerful device

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Too often these days we are completely reliant on technology.

While it is a great tool to use, it has crippled us in the way that we don’t just pick up a phone anymore to have a conversation. While I was following about a year ago the dramatic rescue of the Chilean Miners, I heard a comment by one of them as they came out of the mine. They said a simple device saved them more than anyone could expect, a telephone. A very basic tool, often overlooked. But that simple device allowed communication not only with the engineers, rescuers and planners on the surface, but gave them connection back to their family. Communication, something that takes on many forms.  But the power of hearing the human voice promotes survival in the hardest circumstances.

From its first patent by Alexander Bell in 1876 to the very technical 4G phones of today, the telephone is the most widely used device for communication.

And not just for transmitting and receiving sound, the human voice, but text messages, emails and the world wide web, our phones keep us connected with the world and our loved ones, all at the same time. This has taken on the term telecommunications, which encompasses all the above mentioned mediums. Take a minute and think what a day would be like if you did not have your home phone, work phone, or even your cell phone. Most of us would not make it through the day without using one of these. While they connect us to others, they can be a burden. We get so attached to them, we can forget to take the time to have the personal connection to the people around us. Do you ignore a phone call or text when you are with friends or family? Probably not.  You answer or respond. We rely so heavily on email as well these days that we forget that picking up a phone and holding a conversation with the other person can be much more productive, not to mention the opportunity to make someone’s day by a polite or kind comment.

So pick a day, a time, or even just one instance, and rather than shooting off a text or email, make  a phone call and use the touch of the human voice.

Take the time…communicate

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Let us all take a moment to be thankful for someone in our lives who genuinely cares about us. Pick up the phone, call them and tell them how much you appreciate the fact that they care and that they are a part of your life. Not an email, not a chat, and certainly not a text, an actual phone call, hear the inflection in their voice, hear the smile. Then go about your day, do what it is that you do, but know that you just did something that we all on a regular basis forget to do, communicate.