resources.

12 October 2011

Digital really is in rude health!


We like it because… it shows that digital is great but isn’t perfect

New research has shown that the abundance of tools, software and gadgets intended to make employees more productive is leading to poor etiquette.


According to new research, the overabundance of electronic devices for collaboration, social networking and communication tools designed to make it easy to complete work-related tasks is leading to rudeness at the office and at home.  The study of 1,140 UK workers[1] found that:

  • During face-to-face meetings, 41% of UK workers remain glued to their communication devices, sending instant messages, responding to texts, listening to voicemails or checking their emails. This figure rises to a staggering 70% during virtual meetings and webcasts.
  • 31% even admit to disrupting face-to-face meetings to answer their mobile phones -paradoxically, 40% of these individuals agree it is rude to do so.
  • Age plays a major part in workplace etiquette.  One in three workers aged 20-39 will take a mobile phone call while in a meeting, compared to 20% of people aged 40-60 and just 10% of people over the age of 60.
  • 19% of respondents willingly defy their superiors and stay connected when they’ve been told to explicitly disconnect.

David Lavenda, vice president of product strategy at harmon.ie said:

“It would appear that we have a classic case of double standards in the workplace, with 82% complaining about other peoples’ tendencies to disrupt proceedings by answering a mobile phone, tweeting, sending an instant message, responding to emails or even just updating their social status.

“Yet, rather ironically, 70%? of those that rudely interrupt meetings themselves would be offended if someone did the same thing to them. Clearly, the perceived pressure to stay connected has led many people to neglect their manners.”

The study also found that communication and social tools are encroaching on people’s personal lives, with survey respondents reporting:

  • 85% keep connected during weekends.
  • 79% stay tuned in during evenings.
  • 74% keep in touch with the office while on holiday.
  • 48% even stay online while in bed.
  • 35% report they never disconnect from the office.

What’s driving digital addiction?

A third of survey respondents said they fear they will lose their competitive edge if they disconnect from their inbox for 30 minutes or less, and 20% felt in danger of losing the upper hand over their careers when cut off from email for just five minutes.  Yet all this connectivity doesn’t generate greater productivity, as a third of employees are interrupted at least every 15 minutes. After each distraction, it can take another 20 minutes to regain focus and return to the task at hand.

The overall impact of digital distraction means that:

  • 36% of employees have trouble completing work;
  • 22% suffer from information overload and as a result fail to think creatively; and
  • employees return to work from the weekend or holiday with less energy and inspiration than they otherwise would.

What are organisations doing to tackle the issue?

Two thirds of businesses have adopted strategies to reduce digital distractions and boost productivity in the workplace. Specifically:

  • 39% have instituted enterprise collaboration and social platforms that speed up access to people and information. These tools are intended to eliminate the need to constantly switch between different contexts and screens, which can be a big time sink and a significant barrier to adoption. Yet, three quarters of workers still consider the canteen, water cooler/coffee machine and smoking room to be the top meeting and networking points. And despite the tools, 37% still rely on personal recommendations to identify people to connect with, compared with 21% who rely on the company intranet or  11% who use professional networking sites.
  • 36% have blocked access to certain websites deemed inappropriate or irrelevant to complete work tasks, and 35% have blocked access to Facebook and other social media sites; 5% have blocked this access on Fridays only.
  • 25% provide training to better manage information overload.

Lavenda adds “This survey confirms that employees, having to peruse an ever-increasing array of communication tools to stay ahead in their professional life, are struggling to keep their personal and work life separate. But the challenge remains how to streamline these communication tools, and encourage people to take control over their devices’ on/off switches, to regain civility and control over their lives. New tools and strategies are beginning to appear that help workers cope with these pressures, and that is encouraging.”

Article sourced from: http://apbusinesscontacts.com/the_people_bulletin-pb_5/digital_disrespect.aspx