We are living in 24/7/365 information society. At any time we can access any information on our cell phones, computers, tablets (iPad), and even the “old” television thanks to the Internet and 24 hour cable news channels.
We are now living in the “Information Age” and the “Knowledge Worker” is found to be more valuable (well paid more) than the individual who performs manual labor tasks.
New skills must be acquired. Researchers have found that workers “typically change tasks every 3 minutes” and “take about twenty-five minutes to return to an interrupted task…usually plugging into two other work projects in the interim.”
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| Take this and times it by SIX! |
In order for you to be successful in this new era, you have to become self-disciplined. You will also need to become good at critical thinking, problem solving, and a communications expert.
It’s important to understand how communication works because technology has changed how we talk to one another.
There are three main communications processes, Intrapersonal, Impersonal, & Interpersonal. For now, I am only going to discuss the latter two, as Intrapersonal communication deals with how we talk to ourselves. I want to focus on first how we communicate with others.
Impersonal communication is a “one-way” process. Think of it as an instruction manual that comes with that new toy you bought. In businesses I often see it as a message board posted on the Intranet (not Internet). You may also see it as an email memo, or if you are working for a “non-green” company, a paper memo. This type of information must be clear and precise so the receiver of the information is not confused.
*Impersonal communication takes good writing and communication skills!
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| CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW! |
Perception
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| What do you Perceive? |
The reason we use perception is because there is an unlimited amount of information out there and we could not function if we were to take in all we see, hear, smell, touch and taste. We have to decide is meaningful, important and vital to what it is we are trying to accomplish (i.e. what we want).
Let me expand some more on how perception works in communication.
First there is you (the sender of information), then there is the sender’s filters, then there is the message, then there is the receiver’s filters, and finally we get to the receiver (the person or persons in whom you are “trying” to communicate with). Tied into all is what we call feedback (the interpretation or clarification of the message).
So what are filters? As you are sending and receiving messages (communicating) there are a variety of filters that can distort the intended message. These filters include:
- Semantics (the study of the relationship between a word and its meaning(s)).
- Emotions
- Language/Culture
- Attitudes
- Role Expectations (how people expect themselves, and others, to act on the basis of the roles they play, such as boss, customer, employee, etc.)
- Gender-Specific Focus (ones understanding of how gender “should” act or behave)
- Nonverbal Messages (FYI- 75% of our communication in nonverbal)
Questions (answer one or more of the following)
1. What are the difficulties of communicating via email and texting? How has email and texting changed the way we communicate?
2. How does nonverbal communication affect you professionally and personally? Why is it important to study nonverbal communication? Can one ever “master” nonverbal communication? Why or why not?
Texting and e-mail takes away almost all of our senses. While it is a very impersonal way of speaking to one another, it has created a way of being together, without actually seeing each other. It is instantaneous and quick. It has created a way to short-talk and get instant reaction. Texting and e-mail has also allowed to be in many different conversations with many different people at one time. We can now be in a conference listening and talking, e-mailing a professor, and texting a friend all at the same time. Virtually we are in many different places at once. It has revolutionized the way we look at communication and the possibilities in the future. Though I wish we had more face-time like the "good ole' days" I love that communication is constantly evolving
ReplyDeleteAs was stated nonverbal communication is 75% of our interaction so it affects 75% of our professional face to face conversations, as well as personal. Everyone is at different levels of communication skills, so it also affects us differently. Somebody who shows little expression or body language could be great at text or e-mail communication, where it may be more difficult for someone who is more animated to convey their message. I've noticed this change in the evolving of text messaging world. I sometimes take things the wrong way because I have become more dependent on reading somebody's expression to understand how they are receiving my communication. Or they take what I say wrong because I am a "hand talker" and my tongue would feel bound if my hands were tied. If they can't see my signals or catch my thoughtful pauses, it comes across very differently. Nonverbal communication can be key in not pushing someone past their comfort level as you can see their uneasy disposition. This could be critical to a sell or other business conversation. Some can claim to be experts, such as human lie detecting agents, but I think it is impossible for someone to perfectly understand every human being they come in contact with a 100%.
ReplyDeleteI feel that email and texting especially has changed the way we communicate. Both can be very useful for school, work, and even just keepnig in touch with family and friends. But they both have negative sides as well. With these forms of communication there is no emotion at all and the reciever doesn't always take the information the same way the sender meant it, which could cause a lot of different problems. I think that these forms of communication have made it harder for people to be able to talk face to face and even if they have the chance they won't because with texting they can get the instant reaction without seeing the instant reaction. I think these forms of communication has made people lose respect for others as well, through email and texting some feel they can say things they would never imagine saying in person, so they are as open and rude as they can be at times.
ReplyDeleteTexting and e-mail have changed the way we communicate in our personal and professional lives in so many ways. We communicate though e-mail more in the perfessional world, and use texting to communicate more often in our personal world. This line between personal and professional is fading making new boundries for communication in the work place and at home. One of the main reason texting and e-mail was created was to communicate and relay information in a fast and easy way without interrupting the receiver. The sender does this knowing that the receiver will reply when they have available time. Ironically, it has become the complete opposite. Many of us, living in the twentieth century, will stop whatever it is we are doing to reply to a text or e-mail. It has become more of a means to communicate instantly. We feel the need to write back instantly. I find this to be a large change in the way we communicate. We are able to send out mass text or mass e-mails to relay information to many people at once. This is a new way in “forwarding” the information we want to send out. I think that there are many benefits and detriments to communicating though texting and e-mails, but now it has become a necessity to function in the new world of technology we live in.
ReplyDeleteTexting and e-mail have changed the way we communicate in our personal and professional lives in so many ways. One of the main reason texting and e-mail was created was to communicate and relay information in a fast and easy way without interrupting the receiver. The sender does this knowing that the receiver will reply when they have available time. Ironically, it has become the complete opposite. Many of us, living in the twentieth century, will stop whatever it is we are doing to reply to a text or e-mail. It has become more of a way to communicate instantly. Stopping whatever it is that we are doing to reply to a text or e-mail has become normal in our society. I find this a large change in the way we communicate. We are able to send out mass text or mass e-mails to relay information to many people at once. This is a new way in “forwarding” the information. I think that there are many benefits and detriments to communicating though texting and e-mails, but now it has become a necessity to function in the new world of technology we have created.
ReplyDeleteThere are pros and cons when it comes to communicating through email and texting. We are able to communicate with the press of a few buttons and that can take seconds. You can get the information that you want in minutes. You can avoid the minutes/hours that it can take to drive/fly to get that information. Email and texting allow us to communicate to others all around the world without speaking face to face. We can keep in touch when we are away for business or pleasure. But there are negative sides when it comes to both emailing and texting. It is hard to show emotion through both. The receiver can take the information that you sent and process it in a completely different way then you meant it to be. It is easier to send rude comments or say things that you would have never said in a face to face conversation. It can be easier to offend people or say things you shouldn’t have said, and that is why you have to be careful when it comes to sending emails or texts.
ReplyDeleteIf that statement about nonverbal communication is reliable (I wonder how they tested this), then while communicating impersonally (one-way) we can assume that 75% of what we would normally communicate in an interpersonal environment with someone is lost. Well, emailing and texting as impersonal modes of communication means a big loss of ability in communicating efficiently with the receiver. While communicating via email and texting there is also a loss in otherwise traditional filters that many people rely on to understand messages. For example, if we don’t know the person sending the text or email then we don’t have a few filters like gender-specific focus and/or role-expectations. I think that the less we are familiar with someone, the more likely we are to misinterpret their messages and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteEmail and texts means communication can happen anytime from any place. This means communicating is much more convenient, especially to those who are far away or unable to interact interpersonally.
1. What are the difficulties of communicating via email and texting? How has email and texting changed the way we communicate?
ReplyDeleteThe difficulties created by communicating by email and text are mostly the potential miscommunications from lack of nonverbal cues(voice cues and body language) and, because of this, a new typing language to show the emotions that are naturally expressed with voice or in-person communications.
How has this changed the way we communicate? Well, our world has become of world of technology, and is bringing the world into the palm of our hands (literally). But this doesn’t come without hiccups. One must be careful with how he communicates in this technological world. With email and texting, we have created a new language scattered with emoticons :) and ALL CAPS! andlets not forgt th eeverpoplar barftypr that types as though his sentence was chewed up, swallowed, the regurgitated. Each of these leaves a huge gap in the clarification of the message that can be misinterpreted in many ways, depending on the receiver’s filters. FOR EXAMPLE, PROF. DALLEY MENTIONED THE PROBLEM WITH TYPING IN ALL CAPS IN A NORMAL SENTENCE, which gives the appearance of shouting, though the actual message may have been one of laziness than of anger.
Email and texts have changed communication by removing nonverbal cues and changing the method of communication itself, and thus, our new technology must be used with caution, care and, dare I say, expertise?
Some of the difficulties communicating via email and texting are loss of verbal communication and body language. Email and texting are so impersonal that we lose our identity and ability to speak what’s on our mind. When we email and text we get lazy and care nothing for good grammar or the rules of English. When we email or text continually we cannot interact with one another and communicate effectively. There is no exchange of information between sender and receiver. Limiting ourselves to nonverbal communication leaves us missing most of the message, as body language accounts for 75% of all nonverbal language.
ReplyDeleteIn the past people had to use their voice to communicate or send a memo or fax to conduct business. People now days have lost the communication skills necessary to conduct business or interact with other people on a one-to-one basis. People text to a person in the same room, rather than talk out loud. Granted emailing and texting have a place in society and the business world if they are used correctly. They can be an important way to communicate and convey important messages. We still need to rely on face-to-face communication to be successful in interpersonal communication and use all the filters that can give us an edge on the competition.
This is an interesting topic and one I have given a lot of thought to over the past two years. Being back into the dating scene, I find myself irritated with the texting in the dating world. It is rare to have a man I'm dating actually make a phone call. The problems I have encountered with texting is without voice inflection or nonverbal communication information is being misconstrued leaving one person offended, mad, or mislead. There is a level of excitement that I feel hearing a person of interest's voice on the other end of a phone call. There needs to be some texting educate written since texting and emailing are such a large part of today's fast paced society. Texting and emailing can be great tools as long as they are used appropriately.
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