One day while getting ready for work, I caught a quick segment on Good Morning America called, “BlackBerry Orphans’ Fight for Parents’ Attention.” It showed parents at soccer games, the dinner table and in the car checking their messages and frantically typing responses. In spite of repeated requests by their spouses and kids to put their “crackberries” down and attend to the family, the multi-taskers were compelled to keep checking for that next critical piece of correspondence.
My first reaction to the story was guilt, as I have been known to do the same thing. More than once, I have interrupted a family outing by pulling out my phone or PDA (personal digital assistant) to check on an “important” or “urgent” issue. Honestly, in many instances, these issues could have waited a few hours or even until the next day. More than once, the news I received caused my mood to sour and an otherwise pleasant day or evening to head south. Shame on me for having that happen more than once!
After my guilt subsided, this particular morning news story certainly confirmed some concerns I have been harboring in recent years. Whether it is at home or in the workplace, I contend that technology is often inhibiting good communication instead of enhancing it.
Having your head and your mind focused on a screen, be it large or small, keeps you from listening and talking to others. Many employees now spend the majority of their work hours hunched over a keyboard. Instead of walking over to discuss an issue with their boss or coworker, they shoot off a quick e-mail.
Sometimes, these e-mails result in anger, frustration or confusion that is allowed to fester without the parties ever coming together face-to-face to work through their differences.
Sure, technology has improved productivity and provided efficiencies. It has allowed us to work 24/7 from almost any spot on the globe. Without it, telecommuting would never have gained its current popularity. I am in no way dismissing the positive attributes and significant gains that are the result of technology.
There is, however, a serious downside. Because of technology, managers often fail to “manage by walking around.” Instead of a personal hello and a quick water cooler chat, they close their office door and type a mile a minute.
When they should be watching their kids’ baseball games and relaxing after a hard day’s work, they’re absorbed in this month’s financial reports or reprimanding an employee with a few key strokes. Although the TV segment was about parents and children, I think that some employees feel “orphaned” by their managers or colleagues.
When conducting training on communication skills, the topic of e-mail is often quite energetically debated. Again, while employees sing its praises, they all have a story about the mild-mannered co-worker who sends flaming messages or zingers that can damage morale and negatively impact productivity.
Workers talk about how easy it is to avoid responsibility when a group e-mail is sent with no clear instructions on who is accountable for specific actions. They also share horror stories about how much organizational time is wasted or “stolen” by employees’ personal use of e-mail and the Internet.
On the flip side, employees complain about managers who expect them to respond to e-mails immediately regardless of their whereabouts or personal schedules, for example, when they are at an appointment with an important customer, yet are expected to respond to their manager’s calls or e-mails on demand.
In recent years, it is not uncommon to attend a meeting where many participants are not paying attention because they all have their heads looking into their laps with their PDAs between their legs scrolling through and often typing responses to messages. Or, to be in a meeting where people have their phones on vibrate and then check them each and every time they ring or beep with a message.
I firmly believe that these behaviors are negatively impacting communication, relationships and productivity as opposed to enhancing all of the above.
Human interaction has no substitute. Some issues are better handled “live” using voices, gestures, intonation and a keen listening ear. Given that most of us are managers, we should be role models—showing others that there is much to be gained by discussing issues and working toward collaborative solutions.
While I am certainly not ready to give up my computer, cell phone or BlackBerry, this news story did remind me to use each of them more sparingly when there are more important things to attend to.
Mary Lynn Fayoumi, CAE, SPHR, is president & CEO of The Management Association of Illinois. Contact her at mfayoumi@hrsource.org