Communicating with Other Creatures
Nice To Meet You
It hit me last week while having coffee with someone I had just met. We were having a great conversation.
It weaved from family stuff to work stuff to ideas and plans. The exchange felt very natural. We had met through the social network but the commonality was work.
In order to activate the true power of digital and social channels we must be able to navigate actual conversations with other humans. The tweets and emails are not enough. I look forward to more conversations this week with new people - it's cool, you should try it!
Gadgets and Gossip
The debate over formats and tools may never end but if your personal skills in areas such as talking with people and face-to-face correspondence are lacking you may need to give that some attention.
Because I paid attention to the conversation, I now have the privilege of being involved in TEDx Ottawa.
Science Fact or Fiction?
Often when "the future” is portrayed in films, we are donning uniforms and flying in cars. Medicine has advanced to the point where doctors simply zap us in the shoulder with a silver implement and the poison from the alien force is removed.
We walk on escalator type sidewalks and no one can explain how we can fly in our space ship through an asteroid storm hundreds of light years away the nearest fueling station.
Horses and Horsepower
Centuries ago it would take weeks to deliver a letter written with an ink-dipped feather to its recipient via horseback. But do our thumbs on a smart phone make the message more important?
Has technology allowed us to forget how to speak with each other?
@knealemann
Helping you create your best business,
marketing and social media strategy.
image credit: nationalgeographic.com
Love this post, it's a keeper!
Linda said... October 19, 2009 8:58 AM
I've experienced this problem w/ F2F communication RT @knealemann: New Post: Technology and We Humans. http://bit.ly/FWHc0 #communications
Dannelle said... October 19, 2009 9:00 AM
RT @knealemann: New Post: Technology and We Humans. http://bit.ly/FWHc0 #communications
Patrick said... October 19, 2009 9:00 AM
Great post, 'humanity' check always appreciated.
Roxana said... October 19, 2009 9:01 AM
Kneale
Somewhere between the LOL's and ttfn's we have forgotten how to really communicate without a Blackberry or laptop. You hit it when you mentioned the face to face communicating. True communicators know it's even more about the listening than it is about the talking!
Catherine said... October 19, 2009 11:08 AM
Kneale, I love your blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts every day!
Barry said... October 19, 2009 11:34 AM
For my students, I'd say the ease of communicating via technology has made it more difficult for them to communicate face-to-face... AND using that same technology.
Technology-facilitated communication tends to create an informal feeling that might not translate well to all personal interactions. It also means that they sometimes forget the context in their notes and emails to the prof... failing to use a proper greeting, using all lowercase letters, foregoing punctuation, abbreviating erratically in ways never before seen, etc. This in turn affects their use (or non-use) of communication strategy.
You highlight something that might seem like an inconvenience or frustration now, but could snowball into a huge problem a decade down the line.
Christina said... October 19, 2009 9:58 PM
I talk to myself and have some very interesting conversations.My best insights come from my dog.
Jim said... October 19, 2009 11:37 PM
Thanks Linda!
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:00 AM
Dannelle, communications is tricky business and I can only suggest being straight up no matter the format. Measure the room, don't speak out of turn and always speak with respect. #mytwocents
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:01 AM
Thanks for the RT, Patrick!
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:01 AM
Roxana, what a lovely way to put it. Thank YOU!
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:02 AM
Catherine,
I LOL think :-) you nailed it (!)
Yes, personal interaction wins all in my mind.
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:03 AM
Thanks for your kind comments, Barry!
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:04 AM
Chrstina,
You face a significant challenge. As the population ages and more people are retired than working, communication will be even more crucial. And what is even more important is our way to navigate personal communication.
Gadgets and tools don't help us be people, keep up the good fight!
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:05 AM
Jim,
Roof ruff. Roof ruf rof ruuf roof.
Ruf
Kneale Mann said... October 20, 2009 7:06 AM
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