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Face-to-Face Communication
November 2010 | Volume 8 Issue 11
As more and more workplace communication is accomplished electronically, face-to-face communication can often fall to the wayside. Electronic communication may seem faster and more efficient, but it also can lead to more confusion and misunderstandings. In this issue of CW Bulletin, our experts share the advantages of communicating face-to-face and provide tactics to help you determine which messages deserve some actual face time.
Natasha Nicholson
Executive Editor
Amanda Aiello Beck
Managing Editor |
Features
FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION
by Carol Kinsey Goman
In this fast-paced, techno-charged era of e-mail, blogs, wikis, IMs and virtual meeting technologies, one universal truth remains: Face-to-face is still the most preferred, productive and powerful communication medium. In fact, the more business professionals communicate electronically, the more pressing becomes the need for personal interaction.
ASSESSMENT
by Morgan Leu Parkhurst
Do long-distance relationships last? Can business relationships formed over the phone, via e-mail or over the Internet really amount to much? Or do we need face-to-face communication to succeed?
The answers to these questions are not always clear-cut. Here's a five-point checklist to help you assess your face-to-face communication needs.
PROVIDING FEEDBACK
by David Grossman, ABC
The ability to give meaningful feedback is at the heart of all good face-to-face communication. Without an honest assessment of performance—whether good or bad—you are limiting or undercutting the value of every interaction, and you are most certainly falling short as a leader and failing to help your employees evolve and develop.
WHEN TO USE FACE-TO-FACE
by Cathy-Anne O’Brien
When I began my professional career less than 15 years ago, I worked with a boutique public relations firm, and I had to stand in front of a fax machine for long periods of time to send press releases. Newsrooms were not e-mail-savvy at the time, and some reporters even shared the same in-box. Undoubtedly, technology has advanced our field, but have we lost a personal connection in the process?
FACE-TO-FACE OPPORTUNITIES
by Gail E. Johnson
We now have the ability to send and receive messages around the world without ever resorting to “face time.” In truth, most messaging today doesn’t even involve using our voice—just our fingers to type the message. But technology removes many of the social cues from our messages, which leads to assumptions and misunderstandings. Here are some ways to create more opportunities for face-to-face communication at your work place.
Columns
The Texting Tide: Is the
writing on the wall for writing?
by Natalie Canavor
Younger generations of communicators seem to lack basic writing skills. A reliance on technology, particularly texting, has diminished their writing abilities. This column looks at why good writing is still important for communication professionals.
Career Branding: The
misunderstood professional asset
by Smooch Repovich Reynolds
Editor’s note: This article is the first in a three-part series on career management and branding.
Careers as assets? Branding applied to human capital? Is this nonsense or a strategic career navigation concept that should be considered by both newly minted practitioners as well as veterans of the craft? Consider this: When the economy is good, it is easy to know how to manage our careers, be viewed as an expert, and frankly, know when and how to change jobs. In today’s world, however, knowing how to manage your career and when to make which move can be daunting, unless you have invested some time and intellect into defining your career brand.
Face-to-Face Communication in the Digital Age
by Roger D’Aprix, ABC, IABC Fellow
As one who has watched the communication profession go through phase after phase and fad after fad, I have been more than a little perplexed at the readiness of our fellow practitioners to embrace social media as the Second Coming. One of the really unfortunate results has been the implication that somehow face-to-face communication is passé.
- "2008 Workplace of Choice Survey Communication," Danbury Hospital/Danbury Health Systems
- "Safety Is Not Optional: Bayer HealthCare Communications Program," Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
- "Safe to Say Employee Communication Strategy," Information Services Corp. (ISC)
Communication in the News
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month's topic of face-to-face communication. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- "The Importance of Face-to-Face Communication at Work" by Chuck Martin
- "Face-to-Face Communication—Old Fashioned? Not!" by Mary Jane Paris
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