09 Dec Modern vs. Traditional Communication
The modern workplace is unrecognisable to what it was a mere decade ago. This transformation has predominantly been down to our ever increasing reliance on technology, combined with the new ways of working that this reliance has bought in its wake. Technology – as we all know – will continuously evolve, innovation is key, and this is the same for communication, but the thing to remember with tech is that no matter how good the tool can be it is nothing if you aren’t using it to its full potential.
Change whatever you like in the workplace – there is always one element that must stay and be achieved to a good standard, and that is communication. Communication is what keeps every organisation in the world running effectively – and that isn’t just in regard to our client bases, this is also amongst our own teams.
Communication – in line with the technological advancements we have enjoyed over recent years – has changed, but let’s not forget some of the more traditional ways of communicating in our workplaces.
Communication – The traditional methods
Since the early 70’s Emails has played an integral role in keeping us connected to each other and our client base – it has been a phenomenon all over the globe. Tech rarely has a long life but due to the revolutionary abilities of Email, it has stood the test of time. Modern business owners are asking the question – is Email good enough for the modern workplace?
Email does come with one massive problem – Spam. Spam filters are evolving and getting better, but even with this being said in most organisations they make up the majority of the Email traffic they are receiving on a daily basis, and they hold literally no value to your business. Sorting them take too long in the modern workplace – there is simply no time to scroll through and endless onslaught of adverts and promotions on the off chance there is something buried in there of value.
It can also be very time-consuming attempting to convey messages, it can take hours. This wasted time can have a serious effect on the amount of productivity that is achievable each day.
The Telephone
The telephone – as we all know – is just as important now as it always has been in regard to business communications. The modern world offers many wonderful alternatives to the telephone, but it still stands as the most personable form of communication behind a face-to-face meet. There is nothing quite as powerful – when communicating in the workplace – as the tone of voice you use, the language, and the mannerisms you choose to adopt, when trying to talk business with an existing – or even more crucially potential – client. Using these methods will normally get you better results as you can adapt a conversation as it progresses. Microsoft Teams and Zoom offer very good quality alternatives, but for an on-the-spot conversation that is relatively urgent, or that needs personability to it, the telephone is the first and best choice by far.
We are not recommending that business owners get rid of their office telephones and use the alternatives alone. We are, however, recommending that you give your current phone system a modern makeover.
Modern clients are fickle – in fact, the modern world of instant contact and connectivity, if they can’t get hold of you then they won’t hesitate to take their business elsewhere, or, at the very least, have their dedication in your organisation slashed. The telephone is the main lifeline to the communications that keeps you in contact with all vital entities across your entire organisation, your customers, your suppliers, your own internal team. You must always be contactable, if you wish to reach the levels of collaboration between the different parts of your business that you need in order to continue growing and thriving. Remember, modern customers don’t care what your reasoning is for being unavailable – they will simply take their business elsewhere.
Meetings
Meetings no longer consist of you and all your employees centred around a cramped desk. Meetings conducted in this way have always posed problems – this may be why they are often not as common as would be beneficial. It can be a near impossible task – depending on the size of your organisation – to find a date and time that suits everyone, and good luck with getting your team to come in on their day off. In recent years – with the right technology in place – businesses have adopted a new solution that avoids all this time and effort normally spent on organising a meeting.
In the next article, we will explore modern communicative methods and see how these up-to-date methods have the power to revolutionise your workplace and take you into the future with technology as a powerful ally.
Connecting you to the modern world
Since our conception back in 2005, at Vostron we have operated under a series of predetermined guiding principles: agility, people, and approachability. With those principles adopted wholeheartedly throughout everything that we do, along with our progressive approach in helping our clients to achieve their business goals in the most cost-effective and secure way possible, we are proud to say that we have earned the trust of a loyal customer base across the UK from our home in Southampton. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact to find out how we can help you!
