Modes of communication - Email (or) Phone?

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There was a time when people communicated with mails & telegrams, only. Today, we have a variety of communication options such as phone, conference, email, sms, and chat. Effective use of these communication modes is very key for successful business - especially when your co-workers and customers are geographically separated. There is no perfect communication mode. The use of the right communication mode depends on a lot of factors including the person/group, geographic location (time zone), topic of conversation, business need, urgency of the issue, & YOU. The following are some of the things you should consider before choosing the communication mode:

When to make a phone call?
- When you think it is an urgent issue that requires immediate attention
- When it is a sensitive/confidential issue that cannot be 'documented' in email
- When you want the other person to make a decision immediately
- When you haven't received a response from the other person for your email
- When you think it is better to 'talk about the issue' instead of going back 'n forth over emails
- When you can 'articulate' better over phone as opposed to email
- When the other person has asked you to give a call
- When you or the other person doesn't have access to email

When to send an email?
- When you are not expecting an immediate response from the other person
- When you have don't have a time sensitive issue
- When you can 'articulate' better over email as opposed to phone
- When the other person has asked you to send an email
- To summarise the discussion you had with the other person over phone/chat
- In addition to a phone call, it is always good to send an email. Email can be read multiple times. If the other person didn't not get you properly during the phone call, he/she can always refer to the email.
- Phone conversations may not be very reliable at times (due to noisy phone lines, poor phone receiver, missed VOIP speech segments etc.,). You need to send emails to fill the gap.
- When you want to 'escalate' something to several folks
- When you want to 'document' an issue for future reference
- When the other person doesn't like to get bugged over phone
- At times, it is good to send an email before calling someone on the phone. It would help them to digest the contents of the email & they'll be prepared to respond back to you over phone.

When to 'chat' or 'sms' with the other person?
'chat' & 'sms' are becoming more popular these days for official communications. You can get real time responses from people & at the same time, the other person gets an opportunity to think before talking/chatting. 'chat' & 'sms' are still very informal ways of communicating with people. You need to be very cautious about 'what' you chat/sms.

- When you want to get some quick information/status from people
- When you don't want to 'archive' the communication for future reference
(Though the messengers provide support for archiving chat conversations - it is not predominantly used yet).
- When the conversation that you are having is 1-on-1 (Occassionaly, people do conferencing in chat)

The use of right mode of communication will help you to be successful in your career.

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3Cs to be a STAR in the hi-tech world

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Hi-tech companies throw loads of money at people. Getting a hi-tech job has proven to be the easiest way to lead a comfy life. No wonder, why there is lots of institutions incubating engineers in India. Hi-tech jobs are very competitive. What do companies value? How do you become a STAR? The answer is 3Cs - Creativity, Communication & Contribution.

Creativity - Ballpoint pens carried by astronauts were leaking due to pressure in high-altitudes in the space. Americans spent nearly $11 million to invent a pen that doesn't leak. Russians just used a pencil. This is what is called "creativity". Creativity saves lots of time, resources & money. Creativity helps companies to venture into new domains. Creativity is hence valued the most.

Communication - Most of the hi-tech companies do job for offshore firms. As part of your day to day work, you'll have to interact with folks from different geographic domains. You should be in a position to express your ideas effectively. You've to excel in written, oral & non-verbal. One who is able to express his/her ideas effectively, often gets more credit.

Contribution - Hi-tech engine runs on the contributions from people. Typically, 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the people. So, the 20% who are STAR contributors are valued the most. If you get enough opportunities to learn, don't hesitate to work hard. Hard work cannot substitute smart work - but it can definitely complement it.

If you have any of the 3Cs you'll be fine. If you have all the 3Cs, you'll be a STAR in the hi-tech world.

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You have a choice...

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"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference"
-- Robert Frost

Life is wonderful. It offers lots of choices - right from your childhood ... all the way to your end. Remember the days when you were a little kid. Your parents took you to a toy shop. Your eyes grew wide & you were very excited to see the colorful toys in front of you. You wanted to have them all. But your parents told "Dear.. we cannot buy them all. Do you want the teddy or the car". You had to make a choice.

You grew up and there were abundant choices - for food, dress, TV programs, friends etc., After your higher secondary education, you had to choose your college & courses - do I want to be an engineer or doctor? do I want to go to a government college or a private college? Finally, you enrolled in a course. In the blink of an eye, you got your degree. Now, what do you want to be? Do you want to do your higher studies (or) Do you want to work?

Well, the choices are never ending. Life is all about making decisions. You've to either act or re-act. Inaction is not an option. Now, the big question is "HOW DO I MAKE THE BEST CHOICE?". There is no perfect answer to this question. I've seen people pondering over the 'choices' for weeks, months and years. By the time they make a choice, the options would've vanished. What I've learned is "MAKE A CHOICE. GIVE IT YOUR BEST. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE RESULTS". You would've often made the right choices.

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How to be a top performer? - 4Cs for a successful career

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I had been to GCT, Coimbatore to attend a technical symposium (Infoquest 2007), last week. I was asked to talk to the current 3rd year students who are preparing for their placement interviews. There were about 120 people assembled in a hall. I gave them tips about "What do software/IT companies look for, in fresh graduates? What does it take to be a top performer in IT companies? How to be successful in your career?". In essence, you need to have the 4Cs - Commitment, Communication, Competence and Collaboration.

1. Commitment - Companies look for committed people. Commitment can reflect in multiple forms such as hardwork, availability, ownership, and attitude. At the end of the day, a manager wants his team member to get the job done. The manager can develop confidence in you, only if you show your commitment towards work.
2. Communication - You may have wealth of technical knowledge and skills. But, you should be able to express your knowledge/skills in a way that others can understand. Communication is not just about talking to people in fancy English. Communication is expressing your thoughts in a way that others can understand. In an IT industry, you get to communicate in multiple ways - by writing documents, sending emails, chatting over messengers, participating in conference calls, participating in discussions, and providing status updates. The one who communicates well, gets higher visibility and recognition. 
3. Competence - Competence includes knowledge and skills. Knowledge is something that you can develop by reading books or by listening to lectures. However, you need to have hands-on exposure to develop your skills. Working on a number of projects would give you the real world exposure and thus, you can develop your competence. If you are competent enough, the employer spends less time in training you and hence, saves cost and time.
4. Collaboration - You cannot live in your own world, when you work for an IT company. Most of the times, you tend to work as groups/teams. You need to be able to work with others to get the job done. You are not only expected to collaborate with fellow team members who are sitting across the aisle, but also with folks who are located around the world. Advancements in IT industry has turned the world into a small village. You are too interdependent and your ability to work in a team would go a long way.

Having the 4Cs (Commitment, Communication, Competence and Collaboration) will guarantee you success.

Fresh college graduates can find a number of freshers job openings at www.chennaifreshersjobs.com

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