Channeled Communication

A successful business depends on effective communication, but that efficacy is often difficult in accomplishment.

In my own situation, I spend too many hours juggling modest work efforts and ad-hoc communication. A basic mail server with fifty users should be a 2-hours task; with phone calls and visitors and general chit-chat, that two-hours task can extend through an entire day or more. There is more time used in restarting progress on a task; time in unrelated communication will impact schedules and can result in less production.

There are easy ways to keep unrelated communication under control, but relevant exchange is harder to control. During the previous configuration, a certain source of interruption will be candidate users of the mail server in development. Surely, no other person knows better detail of progress than the person at task -- interruptions are interruptions. Progress slows; schedules slip; production falls.

A task might include unfamiliar process; productivity can be facilitated by timely communication with regard to process. Prepared and scheduled staff meetings are helpful communication; project teams should plan time for sharing corporate wisdom.

Clients should be informed. However, isolated bits and pieces of information are poorly assimilated into understanding. One paragraph of two or three sentences in an e-mail will better inform of progress than a dozen disjoint phrases in as many short telephone calls.

In general, incoming business telephone calls should be answered promptly by scheduling a return call from the appropriate individual for the caller's need. By scheduling a callback, even if the call will be returned within a minute, the appropriate representative can prepare for effective communication. Relevant information can be collected; record systems can be primed; help systems can be readied.

Channeled communication is purposeful and empowered communication. Personally, I prefer written communication and channel my communication to e-mail for rapid delivery and postal services for less demanding schedule. However, in some situations, conversants could need synchronous exchange; telephones are good for that -- so is IRC, and that is my preference.