What would be the worst thing if you didn’t have a telephone or fax machine? You’d have to write a client a handwritten letter.
What would be the worst thing if you couldn’t e-mail or use a cell phone? You’d have to take a trip to see that client face to face.
What would be the worst thing if you didn’t have a computer at all? People would have to – gasp – use a pad of paper and a pencil to share ideas. You’d have to give the client a presentation on poster boards or use photos or start an open dialogue of conversation instead of a fancy PowerPoint show.
Funny how you can get better results by occasionally throwing your company back into the Stone Age (or “Old School” if you prefer).
How can this be? Because the more un-electronic you are at certain points of interaction, the more human you become. That goes for your relationships internally within a company as well. For all of the efficiency and ease that technology can bring to the table, relying on it too much can also turn the environment you present into a colder place if you’re not careful.
I once worked for a company where the people communicated among themselves almost exclusively by e-mail when they could have gotten tasks done so much more efficiently if they had just gotten up from their desks, walked down the hall and talked about it with the person they were seeking out. Miscommunication was rampant. People were offended if they discovered that they weren’t “CC’d” on a certain e-mail. It made a company of 150 feel like a company of 1500.
Another time I worked for an agency of 900 people with seven floors. But I could get to whoever I wanted to within five minutes by simply taking the elevator and walking to that person’s office. It was more time consuming but so what? I got some exercise. I got to step away from my cubicle. People got to know me and get a feel for my personality. That way, when we went out for drinks after work, I already had built the foundation for us to connect instead of having to re-introduce myself.
I bring this up because you can set the tone for how your messages are conveyed and appreciated from the very beginning. You can choose to be viewed as someone who cherishes relationships and partnerships or you can keep things impersonal.
When we were looking for a new office space for a company I once ran, we wanted to make sure that the main area where our creative people worked was a big, open space with no walls whatsoever. That way, the writers and designers would be almost forced to get up and have a conversation with one another in order to get something done.
I’m not telling you to become Amish and ban computers, e-mail and the like. It’s simply about keeping a better balance between the electronic and human world. Whenever you are able to do things face-to-face, the closer your relationships will be. It’s not as easy as shooting off an e-mail. But it’s an extra effort that feels a heck of a lot more warm and caring.
