Many pointless conversations
One of the root causes of our annual engagement survey sounds like this. On the one hand, this is a global trend: we increasingly like delayed communication of text and voice messages. On the other hand, the problem is in the quality of the text. The literacy of the formulation of questions and answers by e-mail, knowledge of the tools of mailers is a separate important business skill. Here soft skills trainings, public recommendations and experience of colleagues come to the rescue. It remains only to focus. But I propose to reflect on the benefits of interactive communication.
What happened? Why did we suddenly begin to believe that the call is not the joy of communication and a technological miracle, but an ugly invasion of personal space? Did psychologists think that their advertising campaign of “private zones” would lead to a massive mute on mobile phones?
Undoubtedly, the ecology of personal space is valuable. There was so much information and communication opportunities that, in and of themselves, they stopped bringing joy. Therefore, instant messengers with their scaling (text, sound) are definitely a useful option. But there is one "but." Delay is good just in personal space: at home, on vacation, at lunch. But not work. Here are other criteria for ecology.
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Working hours are the hours that you sold to the company. And at this time, your phone, especially if it is paid by the company, should be included and in demand. In addition, online communication is one of the most effective tools created (and still being improved) for solving work tasks.
What is the result? On the one hand, our devices are further and deeper developing services that help us go underground. And on the other hand, the ethics around them have not yet had time to form, and everyone chooses in which cases he needs to call back after an unanswered call ...
And what if you formulate a few recommendations and offer them for corporate use? Understandable and the same for all rules of communication, as is known, make it more productive.
In addition to postal ethics, which has already been strengthened in our company , I offer:
Recommendation # 1. A telephone is the same means of working communication as e-mail. Voice communication in Lynk, Skype, sms, Whatsapp, Telegram - everything that members of your team, workgroup, your leadership and subordinates use is worth your while. Agree with the working group which channel you use to solve urgent issues. Let this agreement be not only e-mail and the rule of the included sound during the working day.
Every year we hold awards for the best employees: a big and solemn event. The organizers - our HR - are coordinated in real time in the Telegram.
Recommendation # 2. Yes, a phone call is difficult now. How to remain polite, but to solve an urgent task or a question that is “easier to explain with a voice”? The simplest solution is to negotiate the time of the call. If the urgency of the "second level", then this can be done in writing using e-mail or instant messenger attached to the number. If he does not wait, then verbally: “Is it convenient to speak now?” Or “Urgent question. There are a couple of minutes? .. And when to call back? "
Yes, this is what they teach us at managerial trainings: be sure to record everything in writing, this increases controllability. And this is a very good rule, but until it becomes the final point of the development of events: communication = e-mail. The easiest thing for us, busy introverts, is to transfer all working communication to the mail. And up to a certain point, this is normal. Until the term “critical mass” is included, the quantity ceases to turn into quality.
Colleagues, you are right: that which is not written does not exist. Therefore, be sure to record the results of "live" communication. A letter in the form of meeting notes, a smart task, a sticker in TFS or Jira. Let it be recommendation number 3 .
Sometimes it seems to us that our decision is fine or obvious, and our colleagues will enthusiastically agree. Or we expect that the answer to the question will be short and fast. And we are writing a letter. One, second, third. In response, either silence, or clarifying questions, or open comments - all this does not give any chance to cross out the item from the list of cases. But by inertia, we continue to press reply. And we can’t meet colleagues-recipients at the coffee machine, because they are several thousand kilometers away from us. I am sure that the situation is familiar.
And in such a situation it is important to remember about other ways of communication. Quick questions can be clarified immediately by voice in the chat, and then, if necessary, assign a general call and sum up the totals. Because:
Recommendation # 4. Do not write short letters with short simple questions. They are definitely easier to solve on any of the interactive channels: telephone, chat, video call. Example: “Can you share a presentation from your training?” “Yes.” "Till the evening you can?"
Recommendation # 5. If you are already sending the third letter on the issue, and it does not become decisive, consider: it may be worth stopping the correspondence and organizing “live” communication. And return to the e-mail in the form of ready-made solutions.
Recommendation # 6. If there are colleagues in your working group that you haven’t seen for a long time, and maybe never, it’s time to choose an e-mail instead of an oral conversation. Yes, fix the results. But the effect of "dating voice", and even more so in the video link mode is difficult to overestimate.
We got 7 situations when it makes sense to leave the correspondence online. Is there anything to add?
Yes, by translating texts into oral communication, we risk strengthening "many meaningless meetings." And this is already a story about another communication skill that is critical for any business.
In our company, the ability to effectively conduct meetings is taught in the course "How to conduct business meetings and conference calls." The key phrases in it are: “3 minutes for a call,” “I do not play a deaf phone,” agenda, MN, presenter.
And what rules when choosing a communication tool you are guided by?
SOKR personal space
In a conversation on the results of the probationary period, my new employee said that she understood and liked everything, except for one thing: too much correspondence. “It’s much easier,” she said, “to approach the person and discuss the issue in a voice.” This is her first big company.
What happened? Why did we suddenly begin to believe that the call is not the joy of communication and a technological miracle, but an ugly invasion of personal space? Did psychologists think that their advertising campaign of “private zones” would lead to a massive mute on mobile phones?
Undoubtedly, the ecology of personal space is valuable. There was so much information and communication opportunities that, in and of themselves, they stopped bringing joy. Therefore, instant messengers with their scaling (text, sound) are definitely a useful option. But there is one "but." Delay is good just in personal space: at home, on vacation, at lunch. But not work. Here are other criteria for ecology.
')
Working hours are the hours that you sold to the company. And at this time, your phone, especially if it is paid by the company, should be included and in demand. In addition, online communication is one of the most effective tools created (and still being improved) for solving work tasks.
Oh good tone
What is the result? On the one hand, our devices are further and deeper developing services that help us go underground. And on the other hand, the ethics around them have not yet had time to form, and everyone chooses in which cases he needs to call back after an unanswered call ...
And what if you formulate a few recommendations and offer them for corporate use? Understandable and the same for all rules of communication, as is known, make it more productive.
In addition to postal ethics, which has already been strengthened in our company , I offer:
Recommendation # 1. A telephone is the same means of working communication as e-mail. Voice communication in Lynk, Skype, sms, Whatsapp, Telegram - everything that members of your team, workgroup, your leadership and subordinates use is worth your while. Agree with the working group which channel you use to solve urgent issues. Let this agreement be not only e-mail and the rule of the included sound during the working day.
Every year we hold awards for the best employees: a big and solemn event. The organizers - our HR - are coordinated in real time in the Telegram.
Recommendation # 2. Yes, a phone call is difficult now. How to remain polite, but to solve an urgent task or a question that is “easier to explain with a voice”? The simplest solution is to negotiate the time of the call. If the urgency of the "second level", then this can be done in writing using e-mail or instant messenger attached to the number. If he does not wait, then verbally: “Is it convenient to speak now?” Or “Urgent question. There are a couple of minutes? .. And when to call back? "
What is not written does not exist
One project manager who is well known to me begins his morning with calls to customers and, in passing, comments on them: “Well, this friend only talks to everyone on the phone. And then: oops, I didn't say that! And he is right: that which is not written does not exist! ”
Yes, this is what they teach us at managerial trainings: be sure to record everything in writing, this increases controllability. And this is a very good rule, but until it becomes the final point of the development of events: communication = e-mail. The easiest thing for us, busy introverts, is to transfer all working communication to the mail. And up to a certain point, this is normal. Until the term “critical mass” is included, the quantity ceases to turn into quality.
Colleagues, you are right: that which is not written does not exist. Therefore, be sure to record the results of "live" communication. A letter in the form of meeting notes, a smart task, a sticker in TFS or Jira. Let it be recommendation number 3 .
Stuck, rule of three letters, distributed commands
Sometimes it seems to us that our decision is fine or obvious, and our colleagues will enthusiastically agree. Or we expect that the answer to the question will be short and fast. And we are writing a letter. One, second, third. In response, either silence, or clarifying questions, or open comments - all this does not give any chance to cross out the item from the list of cases. But by inertia, we continue to press reply. And we can’t meet colleagues-recipients at the coffee machine, because they are several thousand kilometers away from us. I am sure that the situation is familiar.
And in such a situation it is important to remember about other ways of communication. Quick questions can be clarified immediately by voice in the chat, and then, if necessary, assign a general call and sum up the totals. Because:
- "Live" communication allows you to really discuss the problem. It is to discuss, and not to "describe." Ideas that can be turned into solutions in an interactive polylog are a miracle! And many of us are too lazy to write all the thoughts on the topic. At first glance, they may seem unimportant, but in fact they can highlight the problem from an interesting side. Dispute, intonation, expressive silence, minor remarks - all this allows you to see the subject of discussion in a new way.
- Online communication provides an opportunity to build more comfortable relationships with colleagues from other offices, and thus increase the efficiency of the distributed team. If you are a part of it, try to use the phone or Skype more often: mail and instant messengers make it impossible for you to build personal relationships with colleagues. The ideal way - a video call.
- Deadline in the form of a call encourages recipients to join in the question. In some cases, written deferred communication is a legitimate way to “merge” the problem, postpone, ignore: if the addressee is “one of” or the response dates are blurred. An invitation to interactive communication in this case may be the only opportunity to move in the matter.
- A conversation many times faster allows you to find out what was meant in reality. This property of interactive communication is especially important in a situation of conflict or its maturing. If you feel that the correspondence is “annoying”, call, invite for coffee.
Recommendation # 4. Do not write short letters with short simple questions. They are definitely easier to solve on any of the interactive channels: telephone, chat, video call. Example: “Can you share a presentation from your training?” “Yes.” "Till the evening you can?"
Recommendation # 5. If you are already sending the third letter on the issue, and it does not become decisive, consider: it may be worth stopping the correspondence and organizing “live” communication. And return to the e-mail in the form of ready-made solutions.
Recommendation # 6. If there are colleagues in your working group that you haven’t seen for a long time, and maybe never, it’s time to choose an e-mail instead of an oral conversation. Yes, fix the results. But the effect of "dating voice", and even more so in the video link mode is difficult to overestimate.
We summarize
We got 7 situations when it makes sense to leave the correspondence online. Is there anything to add?
Yes, by translating texts into oral communication, we risk strengthening "many meaningless meetings." And this is already a story about another communication skill that is critical for any business.
In our company, the ability to effectively conduct meetings is taught in the course "How to conduct business meetings and conference calls." The key phrases in it are: “3 minutes for a call,” “I do not play a deaf phone,” agenda, MN, presenter.
And what rules when choosing a communication tool you are guided by?
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/329796/
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