Addicted to Email?

1. I have heard them referred to as "Crack"-berries because of the way some of us have become addicted to being "connected."
   
   Are you addicted? I just saw this article in John Maxwell's newsletter:
   
   Five warning signs that technology is turning you into a machine:
   
   1. Instead of reading to your children, you e-mail them web-interactive bedtime stories.
   2. You’ve been known to e-mail your spouse when he/she is in the same room of the house as you are.
   3. Given your habit of communicating entirely via e-mail, you haven’t spoken to your cubicle neighbor in over three years.
   4. You’ve been hospitalized after spraining a thumb on your Blackberry.
   5. You unwittingly offend your friends by simply saying “LOL” rather than actually laughing at their jokes.
   
   It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact date, but at some point, e-mail became the standard inter-office communication link between colleagues across America. Along the way, e-mail has revolutionized the workplace, all but eliminating face-to-face contact and drastically cutting down on the number of phone calls between co-workers.
   
   The advantages of e-mail in facilitating business correspondence cannot be underestimated, but when an office depends solely on e-mail to communicate, problems can arise. In a December article for BusinessWeek, Diane Brady looks at the dangers of over-relying on e-mail.
   
   Misunderstanding
   
   As much as 90% of all communication is non-verbal, which puts e-mail messages in danger of misinterpretation. In the absence of body language, voice inflection, or facial expressions, an e-mail’s tone and meaning may be difficult to decipher. Diane Brady points to a study by the New York University which concluded that, “As few as 50% of users grasp the tone or intent of an e-mail and that most people vastly overestimate their ability to relay and comprehend messages accurately.” Given the likelihood of misunderstanding, experts advise avoiding e-mail when dealing with delicate issues such as, “major announcements, firings, job evaluations, and any form of criticism.”
   
   Loss of Humanity
   
   Cloistered in a cubicle, workers can begin to feel more like machines than people. An entire day spent staring at a computer screen can be lonely and disheartening. In her article for BusinessWeek, Diane Brady cites Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence, who claims “Business has undervalued the social dimension of communication.”
   
   Workers want to forge meaningful connections with their colleagues. Face-to-face interaction boosts morale by providing needed diversion from the day’s work, and uniting teammates together as they learn about one another’s families, interests, and weekend plans. For managers, stopping by a cubicle and giving a word of encouragement or greeting communicates tremendous value to those they lead.
   
   Diminished Synergy
   
   The interplay of ideas is hindered by back-and-forth e-mail barrages. Teams need to join forces face-to-face to brainstorm solutions to pressing problems or to come up with creative ways to serve their customers. The synergy of a team comes alive when they can sense one another’s passion, catch the excitement of their leader, and fluidly exchange their ideas and concerns.
   
   Summary
   
   Perhaps it would be wise to step away from the PC occasionally to engage in the time-honored tradition of face-to-face conversation. You may find the effort to curtail your e-mail to be rewarding. Best of luck :-)