Is the Technical Workplace Seeing a Communication Gap?

Recently, on the show Koffee with Karan, Amitabh Bachchan expressed disappointment over Shahrukh Khan not texting him back while Shahrukh in a subsequent show admitted he doesn't pick up the phone or SMS, not because he can't or doesn't know how to but because he feels unsure of relationships through gadgets. What does this have to do with the communication gap in the technical workplace? Shahrukh Khan was stating a fact that is more relevant to the technical workplace than anywhere else.

Missing the Point

Technology is an instrument for improvement of the quality of life and development of society. While advancements in technology have grown like a successful wheat crop along with multiple means of communication at the human disposal, interestingly it has led to the communication gap. At the workplace, the communication gap or at times miscommunication can have disastrous effects. In personal life, it can lead to loss of friendships and failure in relationships which is ironical in this information age. Technologists and engineers who are responsible for making these communication gadgets and services find themselves most often facing the communication gap as the technical workplace is seeing the maximum communication gap.

Interaction Takes a Beating

Some claim this is due to the techies dealing more with machines/devices/tools than humans that their communication style has taken a beating. Some blame the pace of life as it has increased massively leading to 'talking less and working more' as very little time is left for interaction as they already have to juggle work and personal life. Others say that our reliance on technology has increased so much that gadget communication has become common though it doesn't cover tone, tenor, and context leading to miscommunication.

Varying Styles

From observation and interaction with techies, I have identified 3 major communication styles in the technical workplace in India:

Scapegoat: Beware of the communicator who uses this style. He/She will usually be a quiet, shy manager who is not clear in their communication as to what they want done. The scapegoat communicator is someone who doesn't follow up on the status of projects or monitor constantly what their team is doing. You might see them in the morning and evening when they say hello or ask you if everything is fine. This is the entire extent of their communication that seems to convey that they are refined, introverted and polite. They would seem suddenly aggressive when they come under pressure from their bosses or from clients and will begin to set almost impossible goals willing you to fail, so they can save themselves. They may be like goats which seem passive and uncommunicative but they won't hesitate to make scapegoats out of you to save themselves. Very often, people in the technical workplace lose jobs or get fired or are forced to do job hopping as they have such managers. It would be good to be on the lookout for such managers as these people won't just cost you employees but also clients. It would also help to store or document your correspondence and instruction between you and your boss.

Tone Minder: I call this style 'Tone Minder' as otherwise the person would have been the perfect employee. Though this person is competent with a positive attitude in the workplace, the problem for this person lies in the tone of speech or writing. The Tone Minder is of 2 types-client tone and office tone. The Client Tone Minder should be wary of expressing disappointment or exasperation like sighing or anger over the phone or 'perceived sarcasm' via email to clients. With some bosses, it takes just a couple of complaints from clients to make them think you are not doing your job. Also, one complaint from an important client is enough for many to lose their jobs or not be promoted. The Office Tone Minder is slightly different as the people in question will be your workplace colleagues or boss. It doesn't matter if you are overloaded or stressed but being curt in person or over the phone or via email, can result in complaints. A few numbers of complaints will result in your boss pulling you up and warning you. So watch the tone or explain that you are stressed. It is not surprising that techies are increasingly becoming obese as most of them are diverting the workplace stress towards to unhealthy food consumption. While it is important to mind the tone, remember you can explain the position to your boss or ask for extra help. This is the only way to correct the communication gap and also preserve your health.

Know Why: You may be extremely competent and skilled but if you don't know what you were hired for and modify your communication style accordingly, you are bound to fail. The 'Know Why' communicator excels in this. Within few days on the job, they figure out what was the job they were hired for though that is not what the company communicates to you while hiring. Once you identify this, you have to deliver on that alone and you are allowed to fail or delay in other tasks. In a support job it is to keep the users/clients happy and in other cases it is to keep the managers happy. 'Know Why' communicators can discern the essential task from the layer of tasks and they get right down to it. They may not be extremely competent in a colleague's eyes but they know 'what is required' of them and 'why' they were hired which is why they seem to be making advances in the workplace faster than anyone else.

Communication styles might vary from country to country but in general, no one wants or likes putting up with a person who shows annoyance.

Mind the Gender: However there are some unsaid rules in society which does get reflected in the technical workplace and these generally are gender centric. Is the communication gap in the technical workplace gender biased? You bet it is as women don't have to be just competent but have to hide their impatience and frustrations. In addition, women are expected to be work therapists-patient listeners, speak in a low or mild tone, never get annoyed at least not towards superiors anyway, stay friendly and if possible have a smile for everyone even if you feel like screaming at the top of your lungs and banging your head against the wall because of the sheer stupidity of a colleague or a boss. On the other hand, men are not expected to be therapists. The workplace doesn't require a man to speak in low tones or be friends who give a patient hearing to colleagues and client's personal problems or obstacles in current projects, etc. This is true for a man who is even in a help desk or IT support service job. Men also have some leeway as showing annoyance to a colleague and expressing it to a lower level to the boss is considered manly! It is termed 'frank, articulate and speaking your mind' while a woman who does the same is termed 'cranky, arrogant and unhelpful'!

We have a long way to go as a society with communication styles and overcoming gender bias in communication. Maybe a more equal workplace will help. With the changing composition of the workplace and more women opting and exceling in technology and engineering, that day is not far behind.

Deepa Kandaswamy
The author is the
founder-moderator of the
IndianWISE e-group
maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in