Should you leave a coworker with important information on their voicemail? When your supervisor calls, is it alright to answer the phone after hours? What can be discussed in an email and what information is appropriate for a face-to-face meeting? Are the cameras on or off?
The lack of universally accepted norms is posing new issues in the workplace, and the answers to these questions might differ greatly depending on industry, age, seniority, workplace culture, and personal taste.
A recent survey by the online language learning platform Preply found that almost 10% of employees have received discipline via voicemail and that two out of every five have erased work-related voicemails before fully listening to them. Moreover, even though 86% of respondents prefer email communication, over 90% believe that this method of communication is most likely to result in misunderstandings.
“The shift to remote working has impacted our dependence on text-based communication—like direct messages, emails, and chats—rather than speaking in person”, according to Sylvia Johnson, head of methodology at Preply, “those nonverbal cues are lacking from these methods, despite their speed and convenience.”
Would now be a good time to call?
An increasingly global, dispersed, and multigenerational workforce adds to the complexity of workplace interactions.
While over two-thirds of employees say they prefer a text message alert before a call from a colleague, one in five baby boomers still use the landline at work, according to the Preply survey. Indeed, 25% of workers claim that they experience anxiety in response to an unexpected contact or voicemail from their employer.
“In today’s modern, digital workplace, effective communication is not a one-size-fits-all solution,” asserts Johnson. “Knowing the demographic preferences, knowing the kind of information you’re communicating, the urgency of the message, and the context of the message are all important considerations when choosing the mode of communication.”
Johnson continues by saying that individuals frequently use the most popular communication channel inside their company without first determining if it is appropriate for the topic at hand.
“You need to apply a certain level of sensitivity about the type of information you are looking to communicate and ensure that you choose the right medium regardless of the intergenerational preferences,” she says. “Everyone deserved to have difficult conversations in a more personal and a more respectful manner.”
Increased communication channels and issues
The number of workplace miscommunications has increased significantly in recent years, as has the communications landscape.
A recent poll by the international leadership development and consulting firm Let’s Grow Leaders found that 71% of Americans said they had encountered at least some level of conflict at work in the previous year. The study found that inadequate staffing, bad management techniques, and unmet mental health requirements are the main factors.
Let’s Grow Leaders co-founder and CEO Karin Hurt says, “You still have all your traditional sources of conflict, but now you have this complex cocktail of communication options, and people don’t have clear expectations.” David Dye, co-founder and president of Hurt, says, “There are so many different modes of communication, and they’re suited for different things, so if we’re not having conversations as a team about when we use what, conflict is inevitable.”
Hurt and Dye clarify that new types of communication-based conflicts have emerged as a result of remote and hybrid work. In the absence of widely established conventions, employees may generate opinions about, for instance, how their coworkers use new communication channels—such as whether they turn on their cameras during video conversations or if they use emojis in workplace Slack groups.
“It’s true that you can work from anywhere, but that’s only in accordance with the policy,” Hurt explains. “That is until someone shows up on a Zoom call from a petting zoo.” “There will be misaligned expectations leading to conflicts if you haven’t established norms.”
Such misunderstandings seriously affect worker well-being and productivity. The survey indicates that a rise in confrontations at work is causing stress, absenteeism, turnover, and poorer quality work.
Hurt claims that a portion of the issue stems from the insufficient training that staff members—and supervisors in particular—have gotten during this time of rapid change.
Encouraging managers to consider these three questions is crucial: “How does this other individual feel about their situation? When we communicate, what do I want people to see, feel, or do? And what queries are you thinking they’ll be thinking about? It can make a big impact if you can teach your managers to pause and consider those three questions before sharing something extremely sensitive.
The medium is the message
The famous statement “the medium is the message” was penned by Canadian media studies scholar Marshall McLuhan in his 1964 book Understanding Media, and in the sixty years that have passed, its relevance has only increased.
Although there are other approaches to match the message to the medium, Jennifer Kammeyer, an adjunct instructor at San Francisco State and communication coach, recommends using a straightforward anagram to determine the appropriate match.
“People, environment, and relationships should usually be taken into consideration when choosing a communication platform,” she advises. “I refer to this as ‘communicating within the context.”
Kammeyer advises merely spending a moment to find out what the other party or parties want to talk about personally. She continues, “environment” can include situations that are cultural, physical, or emotional.
According to her, “the cultural environment can have formal rules like ‘everyone uses Slack,’ or informal rules like ‘those who turn on video get more face time with the boss,'” and “the physical environment can dictate the best medium—it is really hard to have video calls in a bullpen office setup or in a home office with kids watching TV.” Richer media, such as in-person or video, are preferable when individuals are feeling emotional due to unpleasant news, therefore the mood of surroundings also matters.
In addition, Kammeyer notes that you can choose the communication medium that best meets your needs by considering your relationship with the other party.
She asserts that “in-person and video is better for building relationships.” “Communicating by phone or text is easier with people you know well.”
(Tashia Bernardus)