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Selecting Medium of Communication Wisely An Article of Dr. Stew Friedman, Professor at the Wharton School, CEO of Total Leadership
Digital technology offers both relief and stress to our day –to – day lives. Also, these tools make it easier to access the people you need to get in touch with. . However, instead of realizing many potential advantages, most users find themselves trapped by the demands imposed by the enormous amount of information surrounding them every hour of every day. It has become very tricky to identify and select right kind of communication tool from the various media options to get connected with important people from the different walks of our lives. Currently, major media options available to use for interpersonal contact are 1.Face-to-Face (Verbal And Non-Verbal), 2.Phone, 3.Email, 4.Podcasts, 5.Text and Video Messaging, 6.Music Sharing / Online Gaming 7.Blogs, 8.Online Forums,
We need to ripe benefits of this powerful, and sometimes bewildering, array of choices wisely. While the promise of new media is freedom, choice, and control, the reality for most is serious overload. Also, there is a common complaint about the use of new technologies that they shrink social interaction and sense of community. Many employers and bosses doubt whether their employees are really working when they are connecting virtually. They also wonder about how to foster team spirit when the “team” is invisible. Even today, in many organizations, performance is measured the old-fashioned way ( i.e by time spent in an office) and not on the basis of results (no matter where and when they are produced), digital communications can seem to undermine productivity. In reality, we should use the media available to us to build trust and gain greater flexibility. In such cases, we would feel more whole, and will be in better position to integrate the diverse pieces of the social puzzle in our life. We should learn to use new media to shift time and place in ways that work for all our key stakeholders, including ourselves. The crucial point is how consciously we allocate our use of different modes of communication. Select more face-to-face and less digital communication with important stakeholders. It all depends on what’s going to work best for us and for them. Examining our forms of interaction will help us to generate ideas on how we might capitalize on the benefits of each communication method. This might mean shifting to more in-person time with certain stakeholders (family members etc.) and less with others (boss / people reporting to you) while taking advantage of the flexibility of virtual media as a means of staying connected with others. The time has come to become more aware of media preferences (yours and theirs) and to learn more about how we can be more effective in meeting expectations by using a given medium. However, the technology choice should be based on a mutual understanding about why, how, and when you’re going to communicate. With so many options, there are plenty of opportunities to experiment with how we use media. Try something different, with the deliberate goal of performing more effectively in all the different parts of our life, and see what happens.
Summary: When it comes to social principles for harnessing technology, we are still in learning mode. Experiments with various modes to select and use media are the keys to this learning process. Conscious allocation of available means to communication is necessary for their effective use.
Dr. V. S. Chauhan
Professor
