Organizational tapestry by Michael Lisagor (Federal Computer Week, May 2, 2005) carriers the subtitle "The best managers share information in an open and collegial manner". The passage below highlights the impact of technology on managerial communications:

'Managers' ability to effectively communicate with those around them has never been more important. The rapid growth of technology has increased work complexity and the need to coordinate with many individuals located in multiple places and organizational units.'

But it's his earlier article, Tone-deaf communications (FCW, March 8, 2005), that really captures the issues. Lisagor states, 'According to researchers, 7 percent of our communications is what we say, 38 percent is the way we say it — rate, tone and inflection — and 55 percent is our body language before, during and after we say it.'

The first implication: make sure you choose the right technology to communicate your message best. Email, for example, is perfect for basic status information. Add voice if your message is more meaty. And for emotionally-charged topics, face-to-face is best. These days video is becoming a reasonable substitute for in-person discussions, one that is critical to supporting the increasing trend towards distributed work.  

The second implication: choose your words wisely is always good advice, but when the communication method allows your words to be reviewed over and over, without you being there to judge reactions and clarify your intended message, this advice becomes critical.

6:00:00 AM    
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