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Generational Communication Gaps
We haven't seen any data to support this fearless prediction, but we're anticipating that as older workers
postpone their retirements and younger workers move into management, differences in communication preference are going to play an increasing role in job stress. Baby boomers who expect all important
information to be relayed face to face will feel alienated from younger workers who want to rely more on email or text messaging. It's going to lead to misunderstandings even when the older boomer is in
charge; it's going to be worse when a younger boss wants to manage older workers, without actually talking to them much.
We've written before about the danger of relying too much on email, but haven't added this generational element to the mix. (Hey, we're boomers!) Today, though, we have four different generations working together at the same time. So success is a little more complicated than just remembering to pick up the phone. It's more a matter of being alert to what's working, and what's not, and being willing to adjust your communication style as necessary, in order to get your point across.
Organizational A.D.D.?
In change management circles, we understand the importance of positioning new ideas in a way that
makes sense in an organization's existing culture. You can't run before you can walk, and managers sometimes get in trouble by failing to recognize that their organization (company, department or work
team) isn't quite as evolved as they'd like to think. For example, instituting an employee recognition system might be a good idea, as long as people believe that management is generally fair and
balanced. If that's not the case, a well-intentioned recognition program might very well backfire.
One of the toughest nuts to crack is the organizational equivalent of Attention Deficit Disorder. It’s characterized by work teams that are easily distracted by whatever's happening at the moment, whether it's good or bad.
They skip over the details in a discussion, and can't sit still in a meeting without checking their email. When these behaviors become the cultural norm, it's hard to do much to improve efficiency,
because it's hard for people to recognize small, incremental effects. It's a problem that gets worse the more technology you throw at it, too. The more information people can access, the easier it is for
them to lose focus. Organizational A.D.D. can only be cured from the top, but it's something you can guard against at any level.
Once
or twice a day, step back and ask yourself why you're doing what you're about to do. If it doesn't connect to some larger objective, should you really be doing it?
Tweet, Tweet
Do you know about Twitter? It's a kind of
"micro-blogging" service that lets users send short posts to a website (140 characters or less), where they can be shared with friends, colleagues or the known universe. On Twitter's home page,
there's a testimonial from a user who admits that "if you aren't familiar with Twitter, it is one of those things that sounds totally ridiculous and stupid..." We admit it sounds that way to
us, but blogging once sounded like a strange idea, too.
Posts are displayed on each user's profile page, and forwarded to other users who've signed up to get them, generally via SMS. The idea is
for these posts to be very timely: not just about what you're thinking today, but about what you're doing this very minute. Some Twitter jargon: the posts are called "tweets," the people you share with are "friends" and people who have signed up to read your tweets are "followers."
Twitter offers some interesting use case ideas. You can let your mom know what you're having for dinner, or
warn your co-workers that you're running late. You can invite your friends to join you someplace for a drink. You can check on US Democratic hopefuls John Edwards and Barak Obama this way, although they're a little behind in their tweeting. Searching the user base for the word "knowledge," we found one IT chap in Australia who might be getting something useful out of it. But dipping in randomly here and there, the tweets frankly seem more noise than signal.
Perhaps it's generational, and you need to be a hyper-connected 20-something to get it. Maybe it's just a case of being baffled by the more modern human. If you want to learn more, there's a good overview at Webware.com. There is at least one thing you can say about it. The subscription is free.
Another Country Heard From
In one of those "what hath the Web wrought" developments, we heard yesterday that a controlling stake in an English soccer team has been acquired by a Web site. Technically, it's been acquired by a trust that's comprised of some 20,000 fans who are paying members of MyFootballClub.co.uk. Each member will now be an equity owner of Ebbsfleet United,
and all major decisions on player selection, transfers and general organization will be made by polling the members through the site.
It's being described as an unprecedented development for
English soccer. The team's current managers are at least claiming to be happy about the extra cash the deal will bring in, and interested in hearing what the fans think about things. The fans won't be
voting on in-game strategy, so the current coaches and managers are still calling the shots there. This should be an interesting example of a group mind in action. Overseas fans are welcome, too.
Membership is 35 pounds, or about $70 US.
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