The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of IM & Texting in the Workplace

Ask almost anyone and they'll tell you that they use texting or IM at some point in their day whether for business or pleasure. It's everywhere. But is is a good thing or a bad thing in the business world?

The Good

IM and texting work on real time. They're fast, convenient and allow for workers to converse without leaving their desk. This in and of itself increases productivity and cuts down on wait time for emails. IM and texting offers convenience for those who work from a virtual office or travel for business frequently. They're still able to provide real time answers to co-workers without physically being there.

IM can also improve Customer Service. Some IM services are being installed into websites now so that customers can IM customer service and get answers to their problem instantly. This provides greater customer satisfaction by avoiding lengthy phone calls or emails to address a customer's concerns.

The Bad

The fact remains that some employers still see IM and texting as a distraction in the workplace and it can be if misused. An employee using it to chat to friends on company time can create a problem within the business. It can also been seen as less personal. It doesn't offer that face-to-face experience which means it can be impersonal and tone may be misunderstood as well. As with all forms of written communication, it's important to be clear and concise and watch for tone.

IM/texting misused can lead to  a lack of productivity.

The Ugly

There is always a downside and IM and texting are no exception. There is the possibility of security breech if a user isn't familiar with the possible risks . A person trying to infiltrate company information may send a virus through IM embedded in a link and if clicked, it could potentially leak important and sensitive data from within the company. The good news is, there are IMs out there to combat this risk, which we'll talk about a bit later.

An Intro to Messaging & Texting in the Workplace

In today's business world, Instant Messaging (IM) and texting have become integral to the communication process in the workplace. They provide employees the ability to send and receive information instantly without even leaving their office chair. 

Here's an example of how the workplace can benefit from IM and texting:

Mr. Smith runs a moderate sized company and has recently introduced the virtual office (employees work from home) to his business. Several of his employees choose to work from their virtual office, while some remain in the original office space. With a project deadline looming, staff from the virtual and main office are able to communicate in real time, just as if they had left their desk to talk to another at their desk. Both employees are able to provide information to the other while continuing to focus on their portion of work for the project. 

IM and texting can be beneficial for everyone in the workplace.

As with any technology, there's always pros and cons and that certainly holds true in the business world as well. In my upcoming entries, we'll discuss the pros and cons, do's and don'ts, the technologies available to businesses, and more.