How we communicate nowadays

A short article titled “Think Before Hitting Reply All” got me thinking about communication today (http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/tenuredradical/2013/01/radical-academic-advice-think-before-hitting-hit-reply-all/?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en). First, let me say that I do love technology and all it has done for us, but technology is a tool not a panacea.

There are so many forms of communication in business today beyond the telephone: basic email, text, BB messenger, yahoo messenger, Skype, tango, etc, etc. However, communication’s basic purpose has not changed, especially in the work place, and that is to accurately convey information from one person to another (or multiple people). When communication becomes complicated or even frustrating, sometimes going back to basics like face-to-face conversations or real phone calls can be very useful. Have you ever tried to read and answer a long text and realize that the person could have told you this in half the time if they picked up the phone? Have you ever had an employee text in sick and then post on their Facebook page that they are “really hung-over”?

Let us not forget just talking with each other, do not let technology become a barrier between you and someone else. Email and text can convey the wrong emotions sometimes, and remember to slow down sometimes (even on the phone).

It can be fun to communicate, let us remember that.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam