Conference calls, video chats, emails, and other tools are facilitating modern office communications, with speed, availability, and flexibility the go-to-choice for most professional environments. Face-to-face interactions have taken a backseat, with Millennials bolstering much of the technological advancement, while previous generations remain traditional in their communication preferences. Regardless, we are entirely dependent on these capabilities in the workplace. They impact the way businesses run and communicate, ensuring an enhanced work atmosphere. However, the consequences of these techno-cultural changes may have unintended outcomes. Let’s dig deeper to comprehend the real picture.
The positive side of the growing role of technology in business communication
Globalization has put businesses on the top gear of growth and evolution. Remote offices, a virtual workforce, and speedy communications are some of the most obvious gains from this technological boom. Companies have their customers, partners, and suppliers dispersed throughout the world. The hassle of conflicting time zones and office hours are almost non-existent. Every person and device areconnected, whether it involves decision-making, searching for information, or learning. All this has shifted into a new world order surrounding the way human beings work. The 9-5 norm is quickly diminishing as more companies take progressive approaches to employee schedules. Professionals have more flexibility in many aspects of their careers. These are just some of the realities, and technological advances are at the forefront for these for allowing tremendous adaptability.
Better communication systems enable yourglobal access to improved business relationships. Regardless of location, sending an email, conducting a meeting, and approving business contracts are capable. This robust connectivity removes the challenges of communication between different time zones to a great extent. Increasingly, flexibility has become the norm.
It is also worth noting that the intervention of technology has enabled more work-life balance. Even though the working hours have extended, the ability to conduct business remotely has increased. You can attend your kid’s performance or drop in at a doctor’s clinic while remaining in touch with business partners and coworkers.
In essence, these capabilities benefit the workplace in the following ways:
- Enhanced remote working opportunities for project completion without requiring people to be in the same place.
- Better productivity due to ease of communication, information and knowledge sharing, and collaboration on a variety of projects at the same time.
- Higher multi-level engagements through different platforms.
Challenges ofthe growing role of technology in business communication
The swiftness of messaging has led to an increase in common mistakes. Exchanges tend to be impulsive and reflexive. Since you can respond on the go, you spare little to no time in considering your language and tone, often disregarding common email etiquette.
Most everyone utilizes technology to communicate in the workplace. While the benefits of these modern communication standards certainly outweigh the negative, maintaining a sense of etiquette, consistency, and ensuring that employees of all generations have the skills to be effective in an expanding workforce is a critical task.
For more insights, entrepreneurs like Hani Zeini offer a wealth of insight into the field of workforce development.
