The Communication Revolution - Part 2, Social Communication Behavior Impacts
This post is part 2 of a series of posts on the Communication Revolution and Deep Impact it has on us. Part 1 of the series discussed how the Communication Revolution has brought on information overload and communication management issues. This post focuses on the impact that new technology and communication modes have had on our social communication behavior and preferences. Ultimately the series will end with recommendations and examples of what Unified Communication solutions can do to help us better cope with the less positive side effects of this revolution.
The Communication Revolution has given us mobile phones, social networks, texting, IM, voice, email etc. anywhere on a 24/7/365 basis if we want it. There's been a shift from face to face and voice modes of communication to the "electronic" modes. This link gives a few examples and observations on why paying attention to when/where/with whom to use different communication modes is important. This survey sheds some light on communication modes preferred today.
How has the Communication Revolution impacted our social communication behavior?
1) Interruptions and Distractions
The communication modes available to us today enable more interruptions and distractions. There are social impacts of serving these interruptions in the presence of others.
a) For example, there you are, meeting with a colleague in your office. As you're talking an IM alert pops up on your PC screen. You glance over, open it for a couple seconds, and then return to your conversation.
b) A phone call comes in, your phone rings, you glance at the caller ID and decide to leave it be.
You see and glance at an email that has arrived in your in-box because you see it's from your boss. You open it and quickly to scan it's contents before resuming your conversation. Not bad, right? In these examples I've been polite but, despite that, have still interrupted the in-person interaction.
d) Many are less polite:
i) excusing themselves but picking up the call, or replying to the IM that popped up anyway
ii) replying to a text, email, tweet on your mobile while at the dinner table, (or even driving!)
In short, we are multi-tasking far more and giving less than full attention to communicating with those in our presence. I'm pretty sure this was considered rude at one point. Today I'm not so sure. This may or may not be a new "norm" in communication etiquette. Either way the impact on how we communicate is obvious.
2) The personal touch - not!
Whatever the reason, some amount of personal communication has been replaced by impersonal electronic communication. The evidence points to us getting more rude.
a) Do you email or IM a colleague that sits a few doors down from you?
b) Do you text friends back and forth trying to make plans?
c) Do you email friends and family to "talk" about what's going on rather than call them up?
d) Do you do any/all of the above in the presence of others? Do you catch yourself saying "let me just answer this text", "just checking my FaceBook" or email"?
e) Do you have to say "I'm sorry, can you repeat that, I was multi-tasking" often?
Go on, admit it. I know I'm as or more guilty than most!
By the way, whatever happened to the phone call?
A few possible causes for people prefering the less personal modes of communication include:
a) Control the amount of time spent in the conversation. You can "end it" more easily when not face to face or on the phone. No need to politely wind the conversation down.
b) IM, social network and email communication is asynchronous. You don't need to have real-time back and forth repiles. This mode of communication supports multi-tasking much better.
c) Carry on more than one "conversation" at a time - can't do that on the phone.
In short, is multi-tasking the key social driver behind communication mode preferences?
3) The "blur" between your personal and professional communications and time
a) Many professionals don't turn off at 6 pm. Smartphones, mobile access, laptops and remote access to your company network have changed this dramatically. We can be "connected" to work 24/7/365.
b) The interruption and distraction points above are not just an issue at work. They impact your "personal" time and interactions.
In fact, advances in Unified Communications have enabled some of this.
a) Seemless connection of your work extension to your mobile phone
b) Work email on your mobile phone
c) Voice mail conversion to text and then emailed or text messaged to you
When you add work and professional communications coming at you at all times of the day you have the information overload situation described in my earlier post.
4) The Identity Crisis
a) Many of us have different "identities" to monitor and check separately - email, social networks
I've got a work email, two personal emails, and three social networks. As mentioned earlier, I also have community interests with their own private communication mechanisms or email lists.
b) Some of us are in a profession where we serve multiple clients. Communication and data context shifting between clients or "your identity" at the moment is another challenge brought on by the Communication Revolution. Finding communication, data etc on a client-by-client or community of interest basis needs to be more efficient.
The Communication Revolution and the communication capability it's given to us has impacted our communication preferences and social behavior - for better and worse. Later in the series we'll discuss enhancements in Unified Communications and devices to help us better manage these changes. What are your thoughts and needs?
Next up - Part 3, why businesses and Unified Communications Systems and Devices need to embrace and integrate social network communication.
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Posted by Michael Killian at 12:35 on December 14, 2009
GR Hansen said..
Posted at 11:14 on December 16, 2009
Michael, one person's "distractions" are another's information overload. Seriously, though, it's more than just need to check the laundry or walk the dog. Information comes into your home at an alarming rate, especially if both you and your spouse work from home office. Perhaps the main issue with being new to a home office environment is learning how to separate the two - easier said than done because information today comes at you no matter where you sit, stand, or eat lunch.
轮盘赌 said..
Posted at 06:30 on January 30, 2010
Great idea, thanks for this tip!
выиграть рулетк& said..
Posted at 15:43 on February 03, 2010
Sometimes it's really that simple, isn't it? I feel a little stupid for not thinking of this myself/earlier, though.
Anonymous said..
Posted at 14:58 on February 25, 2010
Thanks...Good Post
Andrey said..
Posted at 07:12 on December 16, 2009
We have to live with this sort of problem. Exactly, it is blur between work and personal time. Sure, at working time we have to keep at least 90% of communications to work. And at personal time only 20% for work :-)
"Do it 2 times" - I use it for not priority requests if have no time for the first one. If anybody does need my attention, he or she would resend his/her request one more time. It is not polite although.
I have to check all resources of information ONLY because our work is to sale outsourcing. And thus, more contacts means more contracts.
It's a decision of a person to have lot of communication ways public to all or to have one only (for DECISION makers at BIG companies)..
Yesterday I was at a street and there was -27C temperature. And I got a cell phone call from outside of Russia. I had to answer and have the call from the street place because it was MY decision.
Thank for the posts and waiting for UC recommendations.