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| Home - Industry Article - May 06 Issue |
The Failed Promise of High Tech
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What did both PARC and the Mac teams have in common? They focused attention on their goal. They encouraged unfettered continuous communication. Both teams kept rules to a minimum. However, the one PARC rule that everyone had to obey without exception was that no one could miss the weekly meeting.
Not communicating face-to-face limits our effectiveness and our ability to drive results. When we are not face-to-face we miss tones, inflections and non-verbal communication. Good communication requires good listening skills. Listening well goes beyond hearing what is said. Active listening is all about asking questions to probe and clarify the information you have heard and delve into unspoken areas. We cannot do this by e-mail. Without face-to-face interaction we cannot have in-depth give and take to fully expand our ideas.
Communication and Best Thinking
The highest value of effective communications is the ability to develop best thinking by drawing on the full talents, experience and education of our people. Face to face conversations are the best way to develop in-depth best thinking. Thinking only at a personal level is insufficient. High-level best thinking never happens in a vacuum. We must have continuous dialog with others if we want to develop and maintain our status as an expert in our field.
Best thinking is the catalyst that generates high-level focus. Focus drives performance; performance drives results. Best thinking:
- Focuses the organization
- Gives the company a competitive advantage in the marketplace
- Allows us to achieve sustainable results
Developing organizational best thinking is one of the highest and best uses of an executive's time.
Practical Tip
Using technology cannot substitute for understanding how to be personally effective. One practical method you can use to minimize interruptions and develop focus is what I call the "Conference Planner Technique."
In the planning system you use, enter the names of those you confer with frequently. As you are reminded of items you need to discuss with one of them, don't immediately make contact. Instead jot down ideas under that name. Ask your associates to do the same with items they want to discuss with you.
Schedule periodic conferences with each associate. Before the meeting order the items on your list by priority. Strike out those items that you can best deal with in another way. Meet and have a focused discussion.
When you use this method, you control the timing of your communications, you are less likely to forget a topic, and you can have a focused conversation. Most importantly you limit interruptions, allowing you to focus more effectively. Remember, you can always conference immediately on those issues that are truly urgent.
Summary
High tech equipment has not fulfilled its promise to streamline work. Multi-tasking has actually reduced success. We regularly interrupt ourselves and as a result lose focus and the ability to complete tasks in a timely manner.
When we use email and voice mail as a substitute for face-to-face communication, we do not communicate at the level of in-depth understanding and shared commitment. We lose the effectiveness we need to drive results and success.
Connectedness offers great potential. The old barriers of proximity and time no longer constrain us. We can reach others when we are not physically close and we have instant communication across multiple time zones. We need to learn how to use connectedness to our advantage and not allow technology to control us.
The benefits are potentially enormous. If you are completing less work each day and are struggling to generate success, make it a firm goal to change your habits and learn to control technology to your advantage.
Tom Northup is Founder and Principal of Leadership Management Group, an affiliate of Leadership Management Incorporated (LMI), an international organization that is dedicated to building continued improvement into the organizational culture. With more than 30 years in operations management, he understands the business complexities faced by today's busy executives. The former CEO and Principal of three successful businesses, Tom has his own success story. Through coaching, consulting, mentoring, and training, he provides real-world, practical experience and thoughtful leadership - all with a focus on sustainable success and results. For article feedback, contact Tom at tomn@lmgsuccess.com
 
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