Recently a colleague confessed to me that he sometimes
experiences "productivity windows". Productivity windows, he
explained, are those brief periods of time that occur between
interruptions, when you can actually focus, think and get real work
done. Sound familiar?
Unfortunately, productivity windows are becoming scarcer and
scarcer; however, there are still a few effective ways of regaining
productive time. But before looking at these solutions, let's
review the impact that disruptive, modern communication is having
on our lives.
While surveys and studies indicate that technology has made our
jobs richer in many ways, there has also been a negative effect.
These same surveys and studies reveal that staff is suffering
stress as a result of too much electronic communication.
Undisciplined communication appears to have happened because
technology is being introduced without much thought about how it is
being used.
For example, we introduce employees briefly to the technical
skills they need to be barely functional when using the latest
e-mail system. But where we fail is in not teaching them how to use
the technology with skill, so that it really adds to their job
productivity and, at the same time, does not intrude on or
undermine fellow workers' productivity.
The result is that thousands of time-consuming, poorly written,
ambiguous, purposeless messages are being sent to people who have
no need to see them. This happens every day in every department and
agency.
At the heart of this communication confusion is the fact that we
often don't know which medium should be used under which
circumstances. E-mail has become the catch-all medium of choice for
many people even though it has its limitations. E-mail is great for
transmitting information but is a poor substitute for meetings.
Another phenomenon introduced by e-mail is that messages,
especially electronic ones, are assumed to require instant
responses. We look at the computer screen when an e-mail has
arrived even though it has been scarcely two minutes since we last
checked for messages. We also grab the phone the instant it rings
even when someone is talking to us. The false need for instant
gratification causes stress, shallow thinking and rude
behaviour.
One Canadian study, "Mental Health: The Ultimate Productivity
Weapon" (Holmwood Institute for Organizational Health, 1999) linked
"enslavement by e-mail" and "the unending flow of electronic
messages" with workplace stress. It then linked workplace stress
with depression, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Other studies
have confirmed this finding and linked e-stress to
gastro-intestinal and skin disorders as well as the common
cold.
A better solution is to develop processes, discipline and skill
in the use of communication media. Understanding the common
elements of communication - intentionality, structure and barriers
- is a good starting point.
Specific training in the key media of meetings, e-mail and the
telephone can improve their use. Bonus: A spill-over effect
improves the use of other media. For example, many of the skills
developed for face-to-face meetings apply to video and
audio-conferencing as well.
The paradox is that most people spend their workday preparing to
communicate, communicating or reacting to communication - yet
organizations do virtually nothing to ensure that communication is
effective and efficient. Even though communication is the
life-blood of the organization, it operates more by chance than by
design.
Three immediate solutions are readily available: Improving
communication skills, applying a more disciplined use of the media
and using appropriate processes to share information and knowledge.
The benefits to all from ore productivity windows include: Reduced
stress, improved productivity, improved work-life balance and the
opportunity to use communication as a strategic resource.
The key step is to recognize that people, not technology, are
the resources which in which departments need to invest. Improving
communication skills will require leadership, engaging staff and
carefully facilitating change. But it can be done and the benefits
will be dramatic.
Peter Turner (theshrink@theemailshrink.com)
is currently on assignment to the federal government after 12 years
of researching and developing products for improving
e-communication.
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