Are you drowning in blackberry jam?
Are your business communication aids getting in the way of systemic, business dialogue?
So many organisations now are drowning in blackberry jam. Daily lives are ruled by these little black gadgets, which supposedly give us more freedom (we can work from everywhere, even on holiday!), but in reality handcuff us more completely to the workplace.What are the good ideas that communication aids, like the blackberry offer?
- Telephone, diary, address book, email all in one (nice - no need to carry four bits of equipment around with us - good for bad backs)
- Ability to work from anywhere (great - the boss doesn't need to know that I am in the gym)
- Ability to respond immediately to clients/colleagues - rather than force them to wait until I am back in the office
- I can constantly be in the loop on things - which means that I am in control!
- Excellent for those roles that require immediate contact and response (e.g. live-system support)
But what is the sticky truth that is emerging in business?
- People spend all their time looking down at the blackberrys - instead of looking out at what is really happening around them
- Leaders and managers are never off the job; they take their blackberries on holiday, to the bathroom - this means that they delegate less, have a say on everything, potentially losing sight of their role - leading and managing
- As communication is instant, an instant response is expected. The instant reaction to an email is 'how quickly can I bat this back/or away to everyone else'. I feel good at the end of the day if I have no outstanding requests.....the inclination is to react tactically, not strategically, to everything
- In fact, Blackberry etiquette is to keep messages short and terse; a perfect opportunity for misunderstandings to arise. and if there is an attachment as well, forget it. Most people will still try and 'bat the request' away - and if they haven't read the email (it is too long) or the attachment (I can't open it) - probably they have batted the request to totally the wrong person
- Blackberries have become a status symbol of importance and power - thus everyone wants one
So what is the answer?
A simple suggestion would be to reverse the use of Blackberries - i.e. create an expectation that if you are involved in management or leadership, you should not need a Blackberry. Your role is to have conversations with key stakeholders, understand what themes are emerging in the system, look upward and output. Blackberries are no help in this.They are extremely useful, however, in day-to-day roles which require instant responses - as in the final example above, live system support.
Create a culture where not having a blackberry is a symbol of power - -- and get yourself out of the jam.
Annika Ratcliffe
If you would like to comment on any aspect of this report please email info@human-insight.com
To read all of our business reports please click on the appropriate date below:
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