We were talking about this in office the other day. Then, I initiated some dialogue about it today on Facebook and Twitter and now I want to share it on the blog.
It’s being more and more obvious that the economy is changing the way people in business communicate with each other, and not for the better. And it’s time to say something about it.
It’s not just one person doing this. And it’s not just us who are noticing it. It’s becoming rampant. As we said in the office, “everyone is acting like they are either afraid of getting fired or afraid of going out of business.” As one of my “followers” wrote on Twitter this morning when asked, “I see people with shorter wicks…takes less to set them off.” This stressed-out behavior leads to feelings of mistrust and defensiveness and can potentially damage relationships.
So, as professional communicators, our advice is please, don’t let the current situation change how you communicate with others. Times are tough. But we are all experiencing it. Please stick to yourself, your personality and your brand. While your 401(k) may be taking a hit, your relationships don’t have to.