Technology & Communication

A study a couple of years ago found that 63% of executives were
making fewer business trips because of technology.

Instead of a plane trip, face-to-face meetings and a plane trip
back, they used email, videoconferencing, or online meetings,
according to the Accountemps study.

If you're a manager who's spending less time with a suitcase and
more with a mouse, you'll want to pay attention to the nature of
the media we use, and especially when sending important messages.

A few years ago we heard a lot about etiquette in electronic
messaging (netiquette) on the Internet, about needing to be
conscious of how messages might be misconstrued by receivers.
One of the ideas to come out of that effort was emoticons,
little text symbols that aimed to make up for the loss of facial
expressions and body language.

Emoticons and netiquette have pretty much disappeared, but the
world of electronic communication still can be a dangerous place.

And especially dangerous if the stakes are high, as they're
likely to be when managers communicate this way. So, let's
further explore some issues that arise when we communicate
electronically, rather than face-to-face.

In my limited experience with videoconferencing, for example, I
found I had to work harder just catch the words, which reduced
the amount facial expression information I took in. And, if the
camera adjusted to take in more facial expressions, then some
body language was lost.

Think, too, about the differences in messages sent by email
versus those sent as conventional printed letters. Email
certainly leads to faster responses and greater efficiency.
However, when sending a printed letter we proofread it both on
the screen and in print. And, the time between our initial
thoughts and sending the letter is longer. That provides time
for second thoughts, sober or otherwise, thoughts that might be
wiser or better expressed.

Here's one more challenge: I recently looked at the idea of
being an online seminars facilitator. Participants would take
part through their computers. In addition to getting a voice
feed, they would also watch the screen, which would be divided
into three active sections. One portion would carry my notes,
another would show reader questions, and a third would show
something else.

As the presenter, I think I could handle the sending. But, how
would receivers handle these flows of information? In person,
it's easy to watch a speaker, see her slides on screen, and
listen to her at the same time. But, is it the same taking in
all this information when it comes through a computer screen and
speakers?

Don't get me wrong. I like new technologies, not because they're
replacing something else, but because they offer new options.
Whether through access, price, or interactivity level, new
technology opens doors to communicators.

But, we need to think about the implications for receivers when
we communicate through new media. Come to think of it, didn't
Marshall McLuhan write the book on this a generation ago?

In summary: With more managers communicating through new
technologies, rather than travel and face-to-face meetings, we
need to consider what can happen to important messages when they
are transmitted through the new media.

About the author:
Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication
Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your
goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported
newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at:
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