NOW WE'RE TALKIN'!
Is anybody tired of talking about communicating? Seriously, have you not heard enough about how our productivity is directly proportional to our communication tools? How effectively we can work because we are electronically engaged? How superior one company is to another because the former boasts 24/7 "availability"? Never mind that all you do is plow your way through menu after menu of automated options that never offer exactly the choice that suits your needs.
We are technologically aware. We tweet, we text. We friend, we follow. We post, we blog. We are signed on, linked in and connected in every which way. We just don't actually talk to anybody anymore.
No one needs one more essay heaping scorn on our technology-driven society, particularly from someone old enough to remember when these issues didn't even exist. But let's face it, the business world survived--and thrived--before all these outlets existed, and applying social media tools and tendencies in a business setting can open new areas of murkiness.
Maybe the issue is that we forget there is a difference between information and communication. Exchanging information is not the sum total of communicating. Implicit in the concept of communication is an element of interaction, and in most cases, human interaction enhances the business experience. Or perhaps we neglect to distinguish between communication tools and communication skills. Our various media options have given birth to a new language of brevity, and this of course impacts the way we express ourselves.
So how are your communication skills these days? And those of your staff? Do you flex those muscles regularly to keep them fit, or have those face-to-face, human interaction muscles atrophied from disuse? Maybe it's time for a refresher course on both the benefits of reintroducing the human element into your business dealings, and the most productive ways to do it.
Fostering the art of communication in a business setting is one of our specialties. Give us a call to learn more. Or email us if you must--but we'd look forward to actually hearing your voice on the phone.
The Judith MIller Group, a woman-powered small business recognizing our twentieth year of service in motion.
The Judith Miller Group. Smaller. Faster. Smarter.
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And Another Thing...
- Judith addressed a sold-out room of very stressed-out colleagues at the MPI Greater New York chapter meeting, NY Mix, on April 6. After an enlightening session of "Meeting Stress Head On," her audience departed feeling a bit more relaxed, well informed and prepared to deal with the particular pressures of their profession.
- Check out the January edition of MPI's magazine, One+, to read about Judith's response to the question, "What has been the biggest change within the meeting industry in the last 20 years, and how has that changed affected you specifically?"
- Also, Judith was interviewed for a feature in the journal, "Corporate & Incentive Travel". Check out the article, "Eight Ways to Slim Down Your Food Budget Without Skimping on Quality."
- Judith spoke at The Second Annual Symposium on Pharmaceutical Meeting Planning, in Philadelphia on September 13-14, 2010. Topic: "Mastering the Art of Becoming a Cultural Chameleon." Her presentation was well received, and stimulated a lively discussion with attendees.
