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Here's one more challenge: I recently looked at
idea of being an online seminars facilitator. Participants would take part through their computers. In addition to getting a voice feed, they would also watch screen, which would be divided into three active sections. One portion would carry my notes, another would show reader questions, and a third would show something else.
As presenter, I think I could handle sending. But, how would receivers handle these flows of information? In person, it's easy to watch a speaker, see her slides on screen, and listen to her at same time. But, is it same taking in all this information when it comes through a computer screen and speakers?
Don't get me wrong. I like new technologies, not because they're replacing something else, but because they offer new options. Whether through access, price, or interactivity level, new technology opens doors to communicators.
But, we need to think about implications for receivers when we communicate through new media. Come to think of it, didn't Marshall McLuhan write book on this a generation ago?
In summary: With more managers communicating through new technologies, rather than travel and face-to-face meetings, we need to consider what can happen to important messages when they are transmitted through new media.
Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com
