Nov 8, 2006

Incorporating humanity into communications

Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood.- Teague, Jr., Freeman


What is the major cause of dissonance when it comes to work place communications ? Why is that companies are found wanting when it comes to communication, even though they have all the cutting edge devices with them.


Dr Alice Stuhlmacher at DePaul University in Chicago tells us why. She did a meta-analysis of people who work and negotiate virtually and this is what she discovered.


1) People who negotiate face-to-face tend to get better results and stronger outcomes than people who negotiate virtually.


2) People who only negotiate virtually tend to engage in negative behaviors like bullying, name-calling and outright lying more often.


Taking this finding as an example, it becomes amply clear to us that companies need to first establish a policy on how these communication tools should be used humanely. Humanity has to show through these communications; otherwise the very purpose of communicating is lost.


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