Effective communication in a digital world

Digital communications can help us work smarter and stay connected

Digital technologies have transformed workplace communications, affecting how we interact within and between teams, as well as our interactions with customers, suppliers, authorities and the public.

People now interact using a wide range of digital technologies such as email, instant messages (e.g. SMS, WhatsApp, Slack), social media apps (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), collaboration tools (e.g. Trello, Asana), portals (e.g. Teams, Google Drive) and via chatbots.

Digital communication can promote a mentally healthy workplace when it:

• facilitates contact and collaboration between teams, customers, suppliers etc. 
• promotes good work design (e.g. replacing repetitive and time-consuming tasks, providing access to information that supports work activity)
• improves flexibility
• enables autonomy at work
• buffers transitions into the workplace (e.g. return to work after an injury, illness, parental leave) or out of it (e.g. retirement).

Digital communications can also create hazards in the workplace

Digital communication can also contribute to mentally unhealthy workplaces. These are some common problems associated with digital communication:

• The ‘norm of responsiveness’ means many people feel like they must respond immediately to messages, which can lead to consistent distractions and disruptions. It can also create perceptions of unrealistic performance and productivity expectations. 
• The sheer volume of messages may be overwhelming. 
• Constant connectivity can affect work–life balance if people respond to emails and messages outside their normal work hours. It can also affect their ability to rest outside of work.
• Some digital communication does not occur in real time—one person provides or requests information and then there is a time lag before recipients respond. Also known as asynchronous communication, examples include emails, instant messages, social media apps, message boards and chatbots. These communications can reduce social connections and relationships. Individuals and teams can become siloed and isolated. 
• Some digital communication that does not occur in real time can also be less effective at conveying information because people can miss non-verbal cues (e.g. body language) or be reluctant to ask questions. 
• Digital communication that occurs in real time (e.g. teleconferences, video conferences) can cause fatigue. 
• People can find it overwhelming having to learn how to use new communications technologies (which change rapidly).
• People can get frustrated, and work can be impacted when technologies do not work. 

When digital communication is not well managed, people can experience increased job demands, low job control and poor work design. This can lead to psychological harm in the workplace, such as higher stress, fatigue and burnout. It can also lower motivation, job satisfaction and productivity, which affects organisational productivity. 

Tips on using digital communication effectively

These tips could help you make the most of digital communication in your workplace:

• Involve workers in plans to introduce new communication technology, to encourage buy-in.
• Provide training on using new communication technologies and allow time for people to attend training (i.e. do not just make resources available). Providing a ‘cheat sheet’ reference guide on how to use the new technology to support the training can be useful. It may be helpful to provide a recording of the training so people can refer as needed or access in their own time. If resources allow, it can be helpful to have someone available (either online or in the workplace) to provide support during transition.
• Model good work practices (e.g. taking regular work breaks, disabling unnecessary e-notifications).
• Encourage the use of video conferences for virtual meetings, when possible. Video is particularly important when people are getting to know each other, because it helps build connection and trust. Encourage team members to have their cameras on in meetings if they are comfortable with this.
• Allow for informal conversations at the beginning or end of virtual meetings. Take the lead in initiating these conversations. 
• Use video conferences for informal gatherings too, such as a virtual morning tea. 
• Remember, virtual meetings cannot go as long as face-to-face meetings. Consider whether to shorten the length of virtual meetings as people can get more fatigued. 
• Keep emails and messages short and to the point. Sometimes, it is better to send 3 short messages about different topics, than to include them all in one message. 
• Consider workplace policies or systems for managing ‘out of hours’ communications.
• Do not send emails and messages outside work hours if it is not urgent. If using email, save them to your draft folder or schedule to send them later.
• Communicate your level of urgency in emails and messages. Let people know whether you need a quick response, or if they can take their time. 
• Allocate times within teams for communication exchanges e.g. short periods throughout the day when people can respond rapidly. Early and late in the day are common periods. 
• Encourage team members to interact on non-work related matters, so people get to know one another better. For example, set up a WhatsApp group for sharing movie recommendations. 
• Check your emails and messages for tone and errors before sending. 
• Do not respond immediately to communications that upset or excite you. Respond once you have calmed down. For example, a good tip is to leave the ‘To’ field blank in an email until you are ready to hit send (e.g. so you do not send hastily by accident).

Some people embrace new technology; others don't. So, when you introduce new technology, make sure people know how and when to use it and where they can get help.