Technology’s effect on face-to-face communication.

It was inevitable that the development of new technologies would influence the way we communicate in our business and personal lives so why is such a large emphasis placed on the importance of face-to-face communication when it appears to be a dying custom in many organisations?

While working at Methodist Ladies’ College I’ve watched as the staff utilise technology to the fullest extent. The girls in my office will email me with tasks to do even if they’re sitting in the next room! I recognise the numerous advantages of email, especially over other communication forms such as letters and telephones. It saves money on printing and paper costs and on phone bills, time (mass emails are so convenient) and also the environment with less use of paper. It’s also great to have a copy of the tasks that I need to complete so I don’t forget anything and they can be forward throughout the office so everyone is aware of what is going on around them. The internet and email is also an amazing tool for international communication but it can also severely deplete the amount of face-to-face communication occurring within an organisation and with its other stakeholders.

I’ve sent a number of mass emails to parents and staff about various topics, some were invitations for events and some were cordial thank you emails for donations etc. but all seemed so impersonal.

Emails, social media, telephoning and texting could see the extinction of person to person communication; but MLC does a lot to repress that trend.

MLC does have a facebook page( http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Methodist-Ladies-College-Perth/103140323058866) but it doesn’t take precedence over other forms of communication. Many personalised letters are sent out and the Community Development Office makes courtesy calls to stakeholders for many different reasons.

I believe the importance of hosting events becomes even more pronounced at MLC as events and functions provide a perfect forum for face-to-face time with a variety of stakeholders. The Community Development staff certainly capitalised on face-to-face time with parents, donors, staff and collegians at the events that I have attended over my time and helped out with.

It’s still so important to maintain this personal communication with your stakeholders but considering these new forms of technology and social media are becoming such a vital source of communication in the public relations industry perhaps when learning about them at uni more emphasis should be placed on how to use them appropriately and the potential assistance they may provide an organisation.

Even though I was born in the 21^st century and grew up using the internet, facebook and new age media I could still use a bit more help in the way of operating these devices in a truly beneficial way.