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.