There is something unusual about the relationship between improvements in communication technology and the quality of the actual communication taking place, whether in our professional or personal lives. Strangely, the relationship is one of inverse proportionality. How totally counter-intuitive is that? We have the means to reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, we are growing apart and turning into digital entities rather than real people. With all this technology, why are we so disconnected?
As I teach at a Business School, many students often ask for ideas to improve their communication and networking skills. Here is my view.
At least for the workspace, I believe one solution may lie in a rather old book that propagated a concept which is still relevant, perhaps more so, in today’s world.
In 1982, Tom Peters & Robert Waterman Jr., published “In Search of Excellence: Lessons From America’s Best Run Companies”. The book became a huge success and was as popular among CEOs as Management Trainees. Among the many powerful insights and clues to success was an innocuous concept called MBWA. It is this concept which I believe could do the trick for us in today’s highly connected, disconnected world.
MBWA. Management By Walking around.
In the early years of my career, I worked at Parle Products, the biscuits and confectionery superpower. As a young Product Executive, I was based in the Bombay factory, where all functions operated under one roof. There was only one other person in Marketing, a sharp young Product Manager named @Yogesh Samat. I noticed two things instantly about him. He spoke very fast and he was rarely ever at his desk. So where exactly was he spending his time?
As I soon discovered, my colleague was working the network. He must have clocked more than the medically recommended 20,000 steps per day, every day. This wasn’t mere wandering. In a world devoid of e-mail, Yogesh literally went from person to person and desk to desk, moving his initiatives along, connecting with the key people across functions, solving problems, clarifying doubts, resolving conflicts and smoothing the rough edges. What this really did in effect, was help him to build outstanding relationships, maintain high Spontaneous Awareness with his key stakeholders, much like a frequently aired advertisement, and position him as a capable business partner and reliable team member. It also gave him a strong handle on the business, an early warning on things going wrong and an accurate, first-hand picture of reality. I did everything possible to model myself along his lines, to my enormous advantage.
We did have communication tools then. A typist pool, Inter Office Memos, and of course, the rotary dial telephone. Instead, the work got done on time and in full, thanks to face-to-face discussion and debate. Any misunderstandings were quickly sorted out. People spoke to each other and got it done.
So, what is the real problem today?
As the communication tools have gotten better, we have become somewhat impersonal communicators. The new technology, while brilliant, is turning us into armchair executives. Why invite four co-workers for a team meeting in your cabin or a meeting room when we can “chat” with twenty in a single, virtual room? WhatsApp and other Messenger services are the default substitute for a casual face-to-face sit down or a phone call. The new tech has lots of pluses, but it isn’t a substitute for a good, two-way conversation where you listen, see eye to eye and connect. Instead of walking up to each other and talking, we’ve even begun sending messages asking if it is okay to send messages and chat. Whatever happened to good old “Knock, knock, Who’s there?”.
To those who ask, I am always advocating an actual, verbal, in-person discussion wherever possible, as the first choice and the most preferred option. Yes, circumstances don’t always permit. Where distance and multiple locations are an issue, pick up the phone and talk. Generally speaking, most of us speak faster than we type. So, a voice call can be more efficient and personal than e-mail. It will allow quick clarification and avert many misunderstandings that arise from the inadvertent use of potentially tricky mail language.
Meeting in person and seeing things first hand is how most real learning takes place. When we MBWA, we discover so much more. A visit to a retailer will unearth realities that never make it to the Power Point deck. Sharing a cup of tea with a distributor brings forth both, issues affecting business, as well as ideas to generate growth and also creates that all-important human connection. Loyalty, whether to a brand or to a person, is driven in large part by emotional engagement. Let’s face it – a smile or frown on your face conveys immensely more than the best designed emojis.
In short, walking around, talking around and being in personal touch builds stronger bonds and connections. Let tech be the backup for a good conversation and not the other way around.