Finding a Balance: Being Connected Without Feeling Trapped
For many companies, virtual communications – anything other than face-to-face – are the lifeblood of the organization. Many of us would likely be tempted to shut off the lights and go home for the day if we couldn’t access our e-mail or check our voicemail.
By Mario Belanger
The path to this point of communication dependency began with the telephone, followed by the fax machine, the Internet, email, and most recently, the broadest array of diverse, handheld devices ever available. Each of the multitude of applications and devices now available can instantly access and disseminate information, and allow us to communicate with our co-workers, customers, and partners.
In short, communications technology has evolved into the essence of how we get work done. This evolution has provided workers with increased mobility, productivity and efficiency.
Striking a balance between enabling employees to stay connected and workers feeling overloaded becomes more difficult, however, as organizations realize the return on investment made possible by employing mobile applications.
Employees may feel overwhelmed by the “always on” nature of today’s business. In a survey Avaya conducted in 2004, 50 per cent of IT professionals reported that they felt pervasive communications had a negative impact on quality of life. With so many ways to connect with people, employees may feel that the communications methods used in business today are intruding into their lives as opposed to making their lives easier.
The undeniable business drivers for mobility include a potential 15 per cent increase in personal productivity through use of intelligent communications solutions, according to a recent study conducted by Avaya. The burgeoning dependence on 24/7 communications requires a close look at solutions that are structured to meet both employee and business needs. For their part, employees may need to exert some level of control over availability and information access to make certain that there’s a balance between work and life.
Würth Canada Limited is an example of a company that has implemented mobile technology to increase overall productivity. A worldwide leader in the sale of fasteners and assembly materials for the automotive and industrial marketplace, Würth Canada Limited recently implemented an IP telephone solution to improve communication among its 250 staff based throughout Canada. The new solution enables employees to work more easily in teams for faster and better informed decision-making and customer response across its company branches, employee home offices and remote sites.
Advanced communications technologies enable organizations to redefine the workplace by creating different work-life scenarios, increasing customer/partner contact and creating consistent, quality experiences for communications with stakeholders. For example, enabling employees to work from home or remote locations provides them with more flexibility to be productive when and where it makes the most sense.
The increased efficiency and ease of access created by communications technology can also result in heightened job satisfaction and better performance. Workers who don’t feel trapped at the office are more likely to be happier workers, and appreciate employers’ investments in cutting-edge communications tools.
Balance in communications that enable a happier, more productive workforce can be a key competitive advantage and should be taken into account when considering new technology.
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