Focus on the Message Not the Medium

Alexander Charles
Xerox public relations coordinator, Global Public Relations

How do you avoid conversation overload?” The question has recently gained traction with the introduction of a new social network, Google+. 

On the surface, a new communications tool seems like a great idea. But I have lots of ways to engage in a conversation.  There’s email, mobile phone, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instant Messenger and a landline (yes, it still counts). With so many tools at your disposal, do you need one more? Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed?

These questions remind me of one of my favorite commercials. It depicts a woman and her boyfriend sitting across from each other.  The woman proceeds to send a text.  The man responds and says, “You just sent me a text we’re breaking up?”  The woman goes on to say not to worry she’s switched data plans.  She proceeds to send an email, change Facebook status and then makes  a call.   The commercial shows the variety of ways we have to communicate, and illustrates how hard it is to remain in the present moment.

When I’m on a conference call, I follow the agenda on my computer.  But I’m tempted when an email notification pops up and tells me someone either needs something or is sharing pertinent information I need.  Taught to multitask, I’ll peek at the email to see what it’s about but then my attention is divided and it’s hard to fully engage in the call.

Diluting your attention with the plethora of communication vehicles could dilute the quality of your work or ability to retain ideas. To fix this, try eliminating distractions. In the case of email; disable the pop-up message notifications and block out time to ignore your inbox.  Then focus on the task at hand.  

Before diving into a new communications tool, stop and take a breath and ask yourself- “Does this add value?” Remember, it’s still the message that’s important not the medium.

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3 Comments

  1. Angie August 18, 2011 -

    We live in a world of interruptions. Email, Calls on cell phones, Social media all reduce us to zombies jumping from one errand to another. A heavy dose o “4 hour work week” focus is what the doctor recommends.

  2. Business Process Outsourcing September 13, 2011 -

    I my view, what ever is the Medium the message should reach the people and they should not turn their eyes from that message. All social networking sites are the very helpful to reach the people. Thanks for sharing.

    Business Process Outsourcing

  3. […] Live…and work in each moment-According to Jonathan Spira, it takes five minutes to get back on track after a mere 30-second interruption.  To fix this, I will eliminate distractions.  For example in the case of conference calls, there have been instances where a well-timed “I agree with the group” or “could you please repeat that” has covered up ill-timed multitasking.  It’s time to focus. […]

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