Workplace Communication – Impact of Technology on how we Communicate at Work

How has Technology changed Communication in the Workplace?

There is no disputing that the single most significant invention in the 20th century had to be the computer. It started a wave of amazing and life changing improvements in technology from Atari to PlayStation and the evolution of old-fashioned tube televisions to the current best, Smart TV’s. The changes are quite evident in our daily lives, including our work lives; most significantly in the way we communicate. Fifty years ago, operating a business was all about building relationships, and having “face time” with clients and colleagues.

In the workplace, communication is mainly done via conference call, email and sometimes even video-conference. It has evolved from the fax machine and simple email to new online technologies that allow for better collaboration. Now we have mobile phones, tablets, and web-conferencing and social networks. Communication is instantaneous, simple and cheap. We can transmit documents, videos and images anywhere in the world, instantly and at no cost. You need never be out of reach (unless you want to be, of course).

Technology allows employees to work effectively with people anywhere in the world, as if you are virtually in the room with them. This relatively new phenomenon of a virtual workplace is making it easier to collaborate and get things done.

Here are the top three ways in which technology has changed workplace communication, for the better!

1. Collaboration. There are many times when team members cannot be in the office physically. New technology offers a number of different methods that allow for easy collaboration to facilitate continued discussion amongst working teams. Web based solutions like Asana or Trello, are great for project management and the ability to video-conference allows those who are off site to be a part of the team whether they are 10 minutes or 10 time zones away.
2. Productivity. One of the best results of improved technology is better productivity. The use of computers to oversee certain operational or technically driven priorities, frees up time of the employees who would normally oversee these tasks. For many organizations it has driven down costs as well.
3. Interaction and participation. This is seen through the impact of social media in business. It provided businesses with another platform to interact with customers, for marketing and promotions and to share information. Social media gives consumers a voice that they previously did not have, and now organizations can capitalize on this new opportunity to secure positive feedback on their products and services.

Although many have complained about the rapid infestation of technology in the workplace, it has now become the norm in their daily lives. With so many workers around the world, having the ability to work in virtual teams allows businesses to grow and flourish in a different way. As a result, many business relationships do depend on technology to thrive. This is not a bad thing — as long they’re using the right technologies in the right ways and evolving to allow technology to help their business, not hinder it.