September 15, 2016- ISSN# 1545-2646
Navigating the speed of communication
Each day it appears that some new twist or turn presents itself in the business world. From changes in employees to changes in the regulations that must be followed to remain compliant to this rule or that law.
I have often heard those business owners who have been in business for many years and now transitioning the business to next generations or other third party organizations say that business was far simpler in days gone by. I’m not sure business was simpler it just dealt with change at a different rate.
As technology and the advancement of communication and overall exposure of future generations to the use of these tools expands, it equally advances the rate that change flows through the business world.
If we look back just 50 years, the movement of an important document was initially sent by the US Postal service and might have taken 3-4 days to cross the continent. Overnight services came into prominence and those same documents could arrive the next morning. By the mid 1980’s the fax machine was delivering those same documents in a matter of minutes and by the mid 1990’s email was delivering documents with in seconds.
Today we take delivery and the time to accomplish that task for granted. It is nothing for me to be on the telephone with a client and discussing a topic and they send me a document to my email while we discuss the matter. No more waiting till the next day for the overnight package or even a few minutes for the fax to arrive. The process is almost instantaneous. Now when the technology does not cooperate people get very frustrated very quickly because we have become dependent on that speed.
Unfortunately the technology may have moved communication along at rapid speeds but the chain of others who come in contact with that communication are not necessarily moving at the same rate of comprehension. We now have the data quicker but does that directly enhance the person’s ability to be better and taking that information to the next step?
They might make a quicker decision in terms of total time but was the decision any more accurate or effective? Sometimes when data is provided in a timely manner it simply gives the decision maker the ability to make multiple decisions in a row before the best one actually works. Many times the speed of the communication promotes the need for quicker decisions and there is a gap in actually processing the data to its full conclusion.
This week take a few additional moments to review and think about your communication practices with your team. Are you communicating effectively? How do you confirm that with your team? Do you understand where they are coming from and their needs so your communication to them is better received?
Each of us have a preferred communication preference on how we received and give data. By considering who is your audience to receive your communication and then crafting the flow of information with that in mind, you just might find a higher rate in comprehending and understanding the initial conversation.
To help you understand your team members communication preferences give JKL Associates a call at (313) 527-7945. We have tools to bring your communication practices to a higher level of performance.
Questions or comments – email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945
Copyright – JKL Associates 2016
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