What impact will technology have on interpersonal
skills?
[August 2003]
Technology speeds up communication,
you can contact to your email anywhere, your mobile phone can be used
throughout the world. Technology may speed up communication but does
it really enhance it?
Teenagers live on text messaging. Whole conversations
are held by text so much so that a whole new abbreviated version of
written English has developed to make texting quicker. GR8 isn't it?
Instant messaging and email mean you can stay in touch with relatives,
friends and do business all over the world. In fact, most people use
email to communicate to the person sitting next to them rather than
walk over and have a conversation.
No need to talk to the local shopkeeper when you can order all your
groceries on-line without a need to interact with anyone.
But what happens when people have to get out from behind their computer
screen or stop using their thumb for texting? What impact will this
inexperience in face-to-face communication have?
Will their lack of ability to build
rapport and work on a human level be underdeveloped and what impact
will this have on your business? What about working with large groups
of people and preparing presentations?
Are you seeing any impact of the technology trend in your business?
We'd be interested to hear your experiences.
Several IPE training programmes include the human aspect of transactions
and behaviour. Contact us for more details.
