It's good to talk

The NHS email system crashing last week made me think about how much we have come to rely on electronic communication.

I remember email being introduced into the NHS - with many secretaries printing off the email messages for their bosses to read at their leisure. Now few of us are ever far away from our emails - even on holiday.

For many people emails are the primary way they share information and communicate with colleagues. And while there is no doubt that many businesses and organisations would be severely hampered without emails - the incident last week perhaps highlights that we may rely on them too much?

Emails are a great way to share information quickly and get prompt responses to queries. They undoubtedly have their place in the range of communication tools available to us today. But many people have become so used to communicating via email that they forget that it may not always be the best tool to use.

How many people in the NHS deprived of their emails last week actually found themselves picking up the phone, or leaving their desks to talk to colleagues instead? And I'm sure those who did that had far richer communications with their colleagues as a result.

Many organisations try to have email free days with the aim of getting people out of their work silos and talking to colleagues instead. Electronic communications has its benefits but it should never replace face to face communications.

Every time I have a face to face discussion with someone I will discover something about them or their work that I would never have found out if we'd relied on email to communicate. And that effective face to face communication helps to build trust and understanding between colleagues and clients, which has to be good for business.

So while the incident in the NHS last week would have undoubtedly have been frustrating for many people, hopefully it will have made some people realise that it is good to talk too.

If you'd like to talk about how we can help improve communication in your business or organisation call me on 0780 7671728 to arrange a face to face chat, or check out our website www.sentrypr.co.uk for more information.