Is Technology Ruining Communication Skills?

Why are we more connected, yet many feel disconnected?
There is no doubt that the COVID-19-induced recession would have been far worse had it not been for technology. Our ability to communicate and collaborate in real time allowed millions of workers to stay at home and remain productive. Video technology enabled people to connect socially, even though they were apart. We may never know the extent to which communication technology helped to avoid mental health issues caused by enforced isolation.
However, there is a dark side of technology, too. It is rarely discussed or considered. Yet organizations must answer the big question that this dark side poses. Is technology destroying communication in the workplace? Moreover, how can you ensure it doesn’t?
Why communication is important in the workplace
Let’s first look at why effective communication is so important in the workplace.
Good communication is crucial to sharing information
If information is not shared effectively, your people won’t know what they are doing or why they are doing it. Collaboration will be crushed. Innovation will grind to a halt. Obvious, isn’t it? Yet, Dynamic Signal found that almost three quarters of employees feel that they are missing out on company information and news.
Communication shapes attitudes
The better informed you are, the better your attitude is likely to be. Misinformed - or uninformed - employees are distrustful of their employer. They spread gossip and increase resistance to change. Lexicon found that 80% of Americans say that communication with employees is key to developing trust with their employees.
Good communication motivates employees
Clarity of purpose engages employees in vision and mission, and motivates them to go the extra mile. According to a survey by JobsInME, 85% of employees said they’re most motivated when management offers regular updates on company news. Equally damaging, Deloitte’s 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report found that only 23% of executives say their companies are excellent at aligning employees’ goals with their organization’s purpose.
Communication is critical to governance of behavior
Employees must comply with an organization’s policies and procedures. Without these communicated effectively, an organization risks spiraling into pseudo-anarchism - especially the flatter hierarchies prevalent in today’s organizational structures. Salesforce found that 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.
Communication is key to employees working effectively
Clear and concise instructions enable employees to carry out tasks efficiently. Miscommunication leads to tasks taking longer to do and being done below the standards expected. Yet an Interact Survey reported in the Harvard Business Review found that 57% of employees report not being given clear directions, and 69% of managers are not comfortable communicating with the employees in general.
Get your communication strategy right, and your organization will benefit from:
- Fewer misunderstandings
- Improved collaboration
- Higher staff morale and motivation
- More highly engaged employees
- Lower employee turnover
- Improved productivity
Better results
What’s going wrong?
Technology has revolutionized the way we do business and the way we communicate in the workplace. But not all these changes have been positive.
Greater connectivity means that many people never switch off from work. This can cause stress in both personal and professional lives, and causes damaging work/life balance issues that eventually affect a person’s ability to do their work effectively. Here are five more ways in which the use of technology can damage communication in the workplace.
Technology dehumanizes communication
It is easier for people to take on false personas when they are not communicating face-to-face. Emailing, texting and instant messaging give the user a certain amount of anonymity, and behaviors can change. This is especially recognizable with social media use.
Summary
Technology has the potential to advance and enhance business and the human experience. It is in the hands of business leaders to ensure that this potential is reached - organizational sustainability depends upon it.
For more information and to learn how your organization can improve its communication skills in a high-tech world, contact Forward Focus today.

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