Communicating in today’s workplace
The connection between social media and communication at work has become more widely accepted. The fallout occurs when the reliance on alternative means of communication reduces the ability of a person or team to have productive conversations.Social media serves many purposes, but it doesn’t replace traditional means of communication when a real conversation is needed. So, how “social” is social media when it comes to having difficult conversations?
There is a level of skill required for anyone to communicate effectively within a team, across departments or with customers to get things done. Relying on social media to speak for you, or as the only platform for herding projects can end up badly. In many industries, the inability to communicate effectively via verbal conversations or through traditional written formats can lead to miscommunications. The breakdowns can translate into a direct impact on someone’s success in the workplace. Avoiding issues and letting them fester, or blasting blanket statements to a wide audience can cause acrimony and dissension.
Social media tools are great additions to other options used to communicate. LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are just a few of the methods for reaching large audiences and expanding your professional network. They provide many more formats and tools to reach people. Having varied sources and formats allow us to adapt our preferences for receiving information. We can use news feeds, blogs, emails, texting and IMs as methods for staying informed. However, when misused or one format is relied upon as the only option, the outcome can be messy. And asking personal or discreet questions, or sharing private information via a public or easily hacked social media site, can result in very negative consequences.
Avoiding 1:1 confrontations prevents us from exercising our communication skills
Blasting information to the universe and believing our message reaches the intended audience can cause even bigger problems and delay resolution. Completely avoiding 1:1 confrontations prevents us from exercising our communication skills and relating effectively with one another. We forget to ask questions or ensure understanding or affirm intent, and may delete emails without reading them. Misunderstandings can lead to taking action on false information.
The more we rely on emojis to replace words or text instead of talk, the more broken our communication becomes. We reduce our ability to ensure projects are moving along as planned or sort out conflicts when circumstances get complicated. Ignoring or simply failing to acknowledge communications can also create more work. Retracing steps to double-check if something was received wastes time. What happened to basic courtesies like providing a “thank you” when receiving information that was requested? Or how about replying with a “no, thank you” to decline an invitation? Why isn’t there more of an effort to introduce civility into the workplace?
It seems like the more noise there is, then the more communication declines. When the abbreviations, emojis, misspellings and abuse of grammar used in social media creep back into traditional forms of communication, some documents will become unusual down the road. Social media and electronic tools are good. The solution is not to ban them, it is to use them more appropriately.
Let’s learn to use social media tools effectively
We need our workplace trainers and educators to help us understand how to use socialmedia tools more effectively. Many employers have thrown group communication tools at their employees and demanded participation. HipChat, Slack, Campfire, Basecamp, Redbooth, Wrike, Kato.im, Skype, Google Docs, Microsoft Lync and Teams are all tools that can fail if introduced without training. Implementing a new tool as the “new best thing,” without instruction, has alienated some workers. People who are unfamiliar with how social media programs work may opt not to use them. For some, it has been an added burden to figure out how to navigate them, so they simply don’t engage. People can miss out on learning important information if they are not connected to others through group communication tools or on social media, or are unskilled in using document sharing tools.
In addition to providing training on the purpose of different tools and best practices for each, we’ve got to learn how to talk to each other again. Zoom or Face Time may not feel the same as an in-person conversation, but they are the next best thing to speaking in person. Let’s move away from abbreviated texts as a substitution for important conversations. Let’s learn how to voice a concern, plan an agenda, call a meeting, collaborate on solutions and negotiate new outcomes together. The more skilled communicators are typically able to provide a positive influence, lead productive efforts and further their careers. Isn’t that important to you?
