The Value of Voice

I've invented my own word, I call it 'techciety' (pronounced tec-si-e-ty) and I use it to describe the current corporate culture we live in.

Week three of my internship has come and gone, and I found the need to develop a universal term to describe the environment my office operates in, and what I feel many offices nowadays are operating in.

I am placed in an office 2 days a week (over 10 weeks) with an event planning company called TriEvents, however as I mentioned in my last blog, I am doing my internship through correspondence with an event staffing agency called Event Workforce. I have fast come to realise that business people rely heavily on technology, many I feel are co-dependent.

I operate my day on the computer, carrying out market research and emailing students from our database and university lecturers who I am trying to organise the delivery of promotional presentations with. In my first few weeks my day has relied solely on what information the computer can provide. The majority of my market research is carried out online, and when I need to contact new university lecturers I find myself researching their details online and sending them an email. If I did not have my computer, my to-do-list would be unachievable.

It was this week that I realised that the techciety we live in, whilst it is fast, efficient and convenient; doesn't satisfy our need to communicate verbally and physically. I was delighted this week to receive a phone call from Michelle at Edith Cowan University. I had emailed Michelle earlier on in the week with information on Event Workforce and to discuss distributing flyers across the campus. When Michelle organised to call me, my first reaction was fear. I felt nervous to communicate with a person verbally as it makes the conversation somewhat 'real'.

When I picked up the phone, my afternoon became a delight and I automatically satisfied  my personal need to effectively communicate using Grunigs two-way symmetrical model. My conversation with Michelle opened up many business opportunities. Michelle explained to me the current volunteer program that ECU currently operates and also gave me the names of professionals in other tertiary institutions that I could contact for my own purposes. She also kept our company details on file so she could recommend Event Workforce to students who contact the careers office looking for volunteer opportunities.

We live in a techciety, which is fabulous. Our reliance on techonology not only reflects our internal operations, but also the habits of greater society. As such we must use our technology wisely. As a communications student I recognise that online communications are essential and preferred in the corporate world. However in saying this I have also learnt that we must embrace the notion of face-to-face and verbal communication when addressing particular stakeholder publics such as university contacts as it helps build a mutual understanding and stronger relationship.

This can also be applied to internal communications, perhaps next time you go to write an email to your colleague, a walk to their desk to say hello may be in order? The value of face-to-face contact cannot be underestimated, as it is the original and the most basic medium for developing mutual relationships.

Lets not lose the most valuable tool we were given in this techciety- our voice.

Until next time,

Amy