03 Apr Social distancing, staying safe & striving to work!
Communication technologies have developed so rapidly over the decade that the boundary between home and office has blurred and may eventually disappear. It all started with IT organizations enhancing their infrastructure to accommodate employees who worked late due to project deadlines. Food courts, pharmacies, shower rooms, work out spaces, even entertainment were all introduced into the workplace. And, on the other hand, people were enabled technologically to stay at home and work with equal commitment, if their personal life demanded their presence at home.
Digital tools enable work from home as one can simulate a work environment at home with technology. There is no doubt that this contributes greatly to the flexibility of companies and employees alike.
#Covid19 therefore did not force work from home down our throats. By now almost every professional other than those like medics and manufacturers who need to be in their respective workplace to be productive, have adapted to work from home. But what Covid 19 has done is that it has deprived us of the option. We do not get to choose between working from home and going to the office. Social distancing started in February when people stopped going to movies or malls. Leaving home was only to go to work or pick up essentials. However, Sanitizers and safe distancing did not seem to suffice. `This too shall pass’ did not happen and we find ourselves staying home to stay safe while striving to be professionally productive.
Many of us miss the routine of a work day and the regime of completing time bound tasks. We even miss the coffee chats and the office camaraderie. We can go on with an endless list of disadvantages of working from home, but what we cannot find fault with is communication. The chat rooms, WhatsApp groups, emails and phone calls keep people connected at one level, while technology tools can handle smooth communication for larger and complex teams. Virtual meeting rooms can accomplish as much as a face to face meeting.
Most of the communication these days in text based. However, in the absence of body language and voice intonation it can lead to assumptions and interpretations. A simple `okay’ in- person sounds fine but in a text message may sound curt like `whatever’. As they say, remote work is like a genie in the lamp of the digital revolution. Once released, there’s no sending it back. Aligning time zones, ensuring adequate air time to all, and above all effectively leveraging the strengths of the members will aid the team to be productive and successful in a virtual environment.
Peter Drucker said: “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
The aspects of language namely reading, writing, speaking and listening will remain the crux of communication and the traditional method of communicating will never become obsolete. A fine blend of virtual and face to face interaction will help balance the ecosystem of the world of communication. Comments welcome!
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