The past decade’s advances in communication technologies – such as smartphones, tablets and social media – have been spectacular. While the benefits of these technologies are obvious, there are negative consequences as well. As we compulsively check incoming messages from multiple channels and devices, are we not killing our productivity, increasing our stress levels and destroying our home life? BT’s in-house futurologist, Nicola Millard, runs through the facts.
What is the problem with communication technology? Or perhaps I should first ask, is there a problem?
Absolutely. BT recently conducted an international study together with Cambridge University on exactly this topic and the results speak for themselves. One in three of our respondents reported that they feel overwhelmed by communications technology. The main problem is that we are constantly distracted by communication and that can have a negative impact on our productivity and our general well being. London Business School’s Future of Work Consortium estimates that during an average day we are interrupted every three minutes. That’s a lot of distraction!
In our study we asked people where and when they are most productive at work. Interestingly, many people feel most productive outside the 9-to-5 working day, when they are free of interruption. Obviously this impression depends on how you define productivity but research does indeed show that distraction and productivity don’t mix well. That’s because interruptions lead to multitasking and task switching, which are productivity killers. Some people think that they’re good at multitasking but in reality we don’t multitask; we simply do multiple series of single tasks, which leads to poor concentration. Research has shown that people who regard themselves as good at multitasking are generally worse at judging the quality of information that they are reading and worse at recalling what they have done.
Being interrupted constantly is exhausting too. People complain about being ‘pulled in all directions’, which basically means that they’re losing control over their workday. Psychologists will tell you that perceived control is crucial to general well being and motivation. A perceived lack of control, allied with high demand, can lead to stress and burnout. People need some time for themselves, to think and reflect, and that becomes increasingly hard to come by if you’re always plugged-in.
But why do people get distracted? Why don’t we simply switch off?
It’s the way we are. Human beings have a natural tendency to embrace novelty and uncertainty. We’re triggered into action every time we see an alert from our mailbox, Facebook and mobile phone. Mostly these alerts lead to junk but occasionally we receive a reward, some good news or something important. As with gambling, that’s sufficient to condition behaviour. Also, the triggers are mainly social in nature; they’re from colleagues, friends or your boss, which make them really hard to ignore.
Can you tell us a little more about the BT-Cambridge University study? What channels do people prefer?
“It depends”, is the short answer. Adults overwhelmingly prefer face-to-face communication to deliver important or emotionally sensitive information. The problem with face-to-face communication is that it isn’t always feasible, especially in our increasingly globalised world. For pure informational exchange, people prefer text-based channels such as email. Generation Y and Z are most positive about social media such as Facebook but many older adults use social media too. Finally, most people are inseparable from their mobile phone.
What are people saying about email versus other channels?
Predictably, email was often singled out as the ultimate time consumer. We receive too much of it, leading to constant distractions. Also, people complain that it can be quite a slow form of communication because email conversations can stretch over days and lead to misunderstandings. Nevertheless, email has tremendous advantages too, in the efficiency with which you can exchange information and being able to communicate with several people simultaneously. The main problem with email is that people don’t use it properly. Too often, people use email as if it were a synchronous channel, when in fact it isn’t. There is no need to react to every email alert you receive on your laptop or mobile phone, but many people feel compelled to respond immediately. Every channel has its advantages and disadvantages. The main problem is that people often abuse channels, especially email.
The key question then – what is a balanced communication diet?
Like any good diet, this is a five step plan. The first is about location. Just because we can work anywhere doesn’t mean we should. For example, it isn’t wise to send an email while walking down the stairs. Or if you’re considering a reply to a complex topic, use a laptop, not a mobile phone. Turn your phone off when in a meeting so that a flashing light doesn’t distract you. Dare to unplug your internet connection or close down your email application if you’re trying to concentrate on something. Second, establish rules for yourself. For example, set specific times at the beginning and end of the day for doing email. Third, awareness. This is important. Think about how you are using technology when working. Try to record the ways in which you work for a few days. That can be remarkably enlightening and motivate you to make changes, like setting new rules for yourself. I did this exercise myself and found that I was spending about 42% of my working day on email, leaving little time for anything else. As a result, I’ve limited my email time to 30 minutes at the beginning of the day and 30 minutes at the end – and in my email signature I tell people that they shouldn’t expect an instant response. Fourth, at an organisational level it is helpful to educate people, to set norms and establish etiquette in the way people communicate. We are all different but we do need to meet somewhere in the middle in order to work effectively together. Finally, balance or moderation is the key to it all. You need a degree of self-control to moderate your use of communication technology, whether it is by location, rules or something else.
How do you see this evolving in the future?
I’m optimistic. For one, the distinction between all our devices – smartphones, tablets, and laptops – will probably disappear as they merge into a single device. That will simplify our lives, although there is a danger that it will be even tougher to take time out from the digital world. Secondly, software will evolve to help us manage our communication more effectively. Intelligent personal assistants like Siri (from Apple) and Majel (from Google) already help users prioritise and aggregate their communications and personalised desktops are evolving to give us a better view of everything we need to do. Ultimately, however, it’s up to us – we need to set some rules for ourselves and adopt a measure of self-control.
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