Face-to-Face Communication - Old Fashioned? Not!

It's unbelievable how dependent we've become as a society on electronic communication devices! E-mail, text messaging, PDA's, cell phones, video conferencing, blackberries, blueberries, rasberries, and more...have taken the place of good old fashioned, face-to-face communication leading to many interpersonal difficulties and miscommunications in today's workplace.

You may be thinking...Why improve my interpersonal skills when most businesses do 99% of communication by telephone, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, e-mail, and on rare occasions, snail mail. A popular way of thinking today...but, is it really the correct way? "Face-to-face communication remains the most powerful human interaction," says Kathleen Begley, Ed.D., author of Face-to-Face Communication, Making Human Connections in a Technology-Driven World. "As wonderful as electronic devices are, they can never fully replace the intimacy and immediacy of people conversing in the same room and it has worked for millions of years."

In business, we talk about "B2B" (business to business) and "B2C" (business to consumer) methods. I try to buck the trend (in a positive way!) to stress the importance of face-to-face communication. You'll hear me talk a lot about the "P2P" (people-to-people) connections and how important it is to get beyond technology and talk face-to-face with friends, family, colleagues, customers, vendors, and the like. You may think that's a bit old-fashioned, but in my opinion, there is no substitution for the human, up-close and personal contact. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for the terrific technology tools we have today and I use it regularly, but it's not always my first or best choice.

Face-to-Face Communication - Old Fashioned? Not!

Several decades ago, John Naisbitt, in his mega 1960's best-seller, Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives, brought a new concept to the forefront called "high tech, high touch." His idea was that "as human beings became capable of anonymous electronic communication, they would concurrently need more close-up personal interaction." Seems to me that he was right on target!

We live in a society when flocking to the local coffee shop or diner for coffee chats with business associates or friends is a testimony to our need for human togetherness, especially when most coffee lovers can make a latte or cappuccino right in their homes. Think about the fortunes coffee establishments are making on our need for face-to-face communication! The people-to-people connections...

We hear of the many children (and adults) who spend countless hours alone playing video games. However, The Game Manufacturing Association reported in 2003 that family board game sales (like Monopoly and Scrabble) are booming and growing at 20% per year. Cranium has recently come out with a whole new line of board games for our "little people" (ages 3+). The people-to-people connections start at an early age - if you haven't heard it, ask me to tell you my "Papa Zitto" story!

Even when disaster strikes and the news media bring these events into our homes and workplaces via TV, radio and the Internet, we seek out opportunities to share grief. I personally waited in line for almost three hours with hundreds of others to visit Ground Zero in New York when it opened to the public in December 2001. Many people also left makeshift shrines nearby to honor the victims of that tragedy. The people-to-people connections...

We lead hectic, multi-tasking lives both at home and in the workplace these days and we find the need for balance even more critical than in days gone by. We understand that technology can be impersonal, but it's quick! We know we need to make time for more people-to-people connections but, the reality of the hectic pace doesn't leave us much time for this more intimate form of communication. You may be thinking, isn't it much faster to make a quick phone call, send a brief e-mail, or hook up via video-conferencing to have a meeting of the minds? Yes and no. It's a communications paradox...faster is not always better.

So the better question may be, how can we make the best of both worlds - technology and face-to-face, people-to-people connections?

Just as fashions are redesigned and come back with a variation on a style from days-gone- by, I believe it is time for redesigning and revitalizing face-to-face (P2P) communication skills.

We need to get the balance right! People-to-people (P2P) communication skills remain one of the primary success factors in business, even in this age of technology. There are many situations - often those involving conflict, hurt feelings, high priority, or a large sum of money - that demand business people take the time and trouble to get in the same room to share information. Video-conferencing has become a good simulation and cost-effective method when individuals are in remote locations, but there is still no substitute for good, old-fashioned, face-to-face communication.

Don't take my word for it...Let's take a look at what some of the experts are saying.

Tom Peters, internationally known business guru, says without reservation that you should constantly attend to your face-to-face communication. Not to do so, will lead to career disaster. "We believe in high tech, high touch," Peters writes. "No question, technology is the Great Enabler. But, paradoxically, now the human bit is more, not less, important than ever before."

Sheila Hodge, author of Global Smarts: The Art of Communicating and Deal Making Anywhere in the World, says "The modern office is full of gadgets - computers and the Internet, uplinks and downlinks, videoconferencing, and online databases. Many people think they should let the fancy technology handle the messy task of interfacing with people."

Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, in her book Reading People, talks about how young, technically oriented employees tend to communicate mostly in computer chat rooms. "If you want to become a better communicator, you must make a conscious effort to engage other people (in person)," she writes. "Even the most entrenched Internet junkie can learn the true meaning of 'chat' if the desire is there, but you have to get off the couch and make it happen."

Gary McClain and Deborah Romaine in their book, The Everything Managing People Book, put it this way..."Consistent, daily face-to-face communication promotes more than just good feelings; it also promotes effective and collaborative teamwork."

"One of the most critical areas of communication to get right in business is the one-on-one situations - especially offering advice, constructive feedback, and annual performance appraisals," says Chris Roebuck in Effective Communication.

One of my favorite quotes stated very simply by Margaret Wheatley, Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope for the Future, says "I can believe we can change the world if we start talking to one another again."

Sounds like we're on to something here...So, what can you do? Start out by taking an honest look at your communication methods and your attitude about technology vs. (P2P) face-to-face interaction. Are you e-mailing more and meeting less for financial reasons? Are you avoiding human contact mostly because of a lack of interpersonal skills? If the latter is true, you need to take action before it's too late.

The next time you are tempted to send an e-mail, text message or make a phone call for other than routine purposes, stop! Get back to basics. Go out of your comfort zone and, instead, send the e-mail, text message or make the call to set up a face-to-face, in person meeting with the person behind the technology! Why? Because it works!

Make the people-to-people connections... You and your business will be glad you did!

A Positive Workplace Means Business! TM

Face-to-Face Communication - Old Fashioned? Not!
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Mary Jane (MJ) Paris, Founder and President of Positive Impact Consulting Services, LLC in Shelton, CT, brings a broad base of experience to her practice gained from more than 25 years in people management, sales, retail banking, training, recruiting, coaching, project management, event planning and community leadership.

With a focus on "The Positive Workplace," MJ and Positive Impact specialize in leadership and professional development programs, speaking engagements, and small business coaching that bring "Positive Energy" to your workplace. Engage employees, maximize productivity, improve customer service and business results...

mj@posimpact.net
203-929-6702
http://www.posimpact.net

Tips For Using Electronic Communication in the Workplace

On the first day back at work this year an employee at one of my clients sent an email containing her new year's resolutions to her to all the email addresses in her work group - by mistake. She had meant to send the email to her friends group, but had clicked the wrong button. The email included a graphic outline of her strategy for moving up the corporate ladder which meant walking over a few important people, one of which was her immediate boss. Now understand that this email went to her entire work, supplier and customer database - including her boss and the CEO. As if that was not bad enough it also listed her romantic desires pertaining to one of her colleagues.

In today's world, with all the buzzing and beeping of new technological gadgets, communication is changing daily. Instead of sending a business letter across the ocean, you can save on postage and speed up the delivery by emailing the letter in a quick second - and it will be received by more than one recipient immediately. You can page or 'MSM' your co-worker instead of playing phone tag while trying to reach them. The workplace is often filled with the sounds of email box alerts and faxes being received and sent out and the printer is almost always hot with some department's weekly schedule. While email and other forms of electronic communication available to us in the workplace have huge benefits there is also a down side if they are not used carefully.

By using email, Facebook, MySpace, forums, USENET news groups, electronic bulletin, twitter, blogs, instant messaging, text messaging, Skype and other electronic forms of communication messages are sent far and wide very quickly. We don't always take time to read our messages after we have compiled them and are quick to hit the send button. This can get us into trouble.

Tips For Using Electronic Communication in the Workplace

There are advantages and disadvantages of email. Although the advantages outweigh the disadvantages we need to practise caution.

Here are a few guidelines for avoiding problems when using electronic communication in the workplace:

- Double check the recipients of your email before sending. Make sure that you are not sending it to the wrong people. The damage done to the above mentioned person's reputation was severe and could not be undone. In addition she had a disciplinary hearing. It may be advisable to set up an account with one of the free e-mail services and use that account for personal emails instead of your work email address.

- Be careful when clicking 'reply to all' on an email. Do you need to include all those people in the communication?

- Think twice before copying people, such as the recipient's boss, on an email where there is a dispute or disagreement. Try to resolve issues first without this aggressive approach. It will cause ill feelings. Sending an electronic message is more permanent than a verbal conversation. People calm down and feelings change with time but an email or electronic communication can stay around forever. You can't get it back once it has been sent and it can be used against you.

- Discuss sensitive issues in person. Don't put them in writing as they can be forwarded, copied and pasted and taken out of context.

- Don't send a message when you are upset or annoyed.

- Don't send anything electronically about a person, if you would not be happy with them seeing it.

- Remember to check previous communication in the message body and delete them if necessary.

- Messages placed on news groups has your name attached to it and can be searched by anyone for years to come. Many employers do internet searches to see what they can find about employees or potential employees. Before you place such information consider whether you would you want a prospective employer to see that type of information.

Free email tracing services will find the e-mail address of a person by means of a quick e-mail address search. Some sites specialize in locating email addresses by doing free email address searches such as the Hotmail email account search. This means that you can be tracked down and can end up receiving unwanted spam.

Don't be put off by the negatives of email. Email is extremely convenient. I can check my email online and can check email from any computer, anywhere in the world. There is an abundance of free e-mail providers such as AOL e-mail, Yahoo e-mail, Hotmail email addresses directory and even kids free email accounts.

Electronic communication is about working more effectively and powerfully in the workplace. It's about communicating the many messages you have to get across in the clearest way possible and as quickly as possible.

Use modern technology available to you to be resourceful in getting your message across? One particularly useful tool for effective employee communication is the intranet. The benefits of the intranet are high. The purpose of the intranet is to provide information to staff quickly and timeously. Fedex ground HR intranet and United Airlines employee intranet Skynet are examples of successful intranets.

You could post your presentation on the company intranet - that way your company saves paper and money, plus it has the advantage that employees can view the slide show whenever they please. You can create awareness on all workplace communication issues like never before.

Below are some other types of electronic communication and ways to use them.

- Use an electronic internal newsletter to drive regular communication on a monthly, fortnightly or weekly basis. Encourage two-way communication through the newsletter by using an electronic team briefing medium via Skype or video conferencing and include discussion topics requiring feedback. Feedback can be done via a questionnaire attached to a PDF.

- Use an email signature to communicate a further message such as greening the environment or to promote recycling. This message can be added below the person's name and contact details. Each message can be tailor made with a specific message that is relevant.

- Electronic teasers and flash mailers can be used instead of posters and leaflets.

- An electronic vote line can be set up on the intranet or internet.

- SMS or MMS messages can be sent to staff member's cell phones.

- Include interactive, fun electronic elements that are quick and easy to update such as electronic games.

In summary, we are living in exciting times in terms of communication as we have a variety of exciting tools at our disposal. There is no longer any excuse for submitting boring communications.

Tips For Using Electronic Communication in the Workplace
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Bridget Gore is the editor of Workplace-Communication.com - helping you improve communication at work. Find more about electronic communication types at her site.