The value of doing digital business aka building bridges …. The architecture of communication Edit | 

 

Communication is a powerful notion of information, having its’ core spine rooted in transmitting important data between individuals or on behalf of an organisation to engage with target interest groups and persons, it acts as the enhancer of human existence, it adds value and dimension to the meaning and the process of learning. Nowadays, even though the human hierarchy of needs, not having changed much since Maslows’ theory (1943) that outlines human motivations based on physiology, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualisation, the journey of communication especially in the business environment has been on a rocky journey | 

 

From face to face, telephone, door to door approaches, through business dinners, networking events, trade shows, direct mail, print correspondence, letters of recommendations, brochures or promo leaflets, the multitude ways of transmitting information has enlarged over the years taking on more digitalised forms. These ensure extended numbers of audiences are being reached while potential challenges of financial spend/budget, multicultural obstacles, linguistic or personality-based discrepancies are being minimalised ensuring the right messages are being put across | 

 

Whether verbal, nonverbal, written or visual, the key aim of communication is to transmit and share ideas, projects, facts, opinions and values for the benefit of learning through completeness, concreteness, courtesy, correctness, clarity, consideration, conciseness, and creativity (MSG, n.d.). These elements work properly on individual levels while the interaction between people takes place, however, what does it mean to business environment …?

It constantly evolves similarly to the way new information media are being introduced such as messenger programs, smartphone applications or video conferencing …

 

Let me introduce the phenomenon of digital transformation … this strategic shift from a well-known communicational status quo of speaking person-to-person face-to-face, via phone or with the use of electronic mails followed by courtesy calls into machine learning communication based on AI (artificial intelligence) powered by human brains … this acceleration of human capabilities is being personified and translated into the digital environment | 

 

Communicating digitally removes the barrier of locations, time zones and simplifies interactions on senses-driven levels making it virtually close and sometimes creating another level of reality:

• Sight – for visual enhancement, oftentimes seen in visual aids, images, photos, videos
• Sound / Speech – for the experience of hearing and listening, the core element for communication
• Touch – slightly more challenged – for the benefit of closeness – enables though touch screens and keyboards
• Smell – not entirely translated into digital languages as yet, however in some cases, the sensation of smell can be brought out from the mixture of intense imagination with the combination of visual images and memorable events such as the pictorial impression of an apple can make the scent of apple so vivid, we could almost experience the sensation of smelling a freshly picked apple that is nearby from us. having an apple in front of us. Slightly more advantageous are perceptions in individuals with synaesthesia who can associate certain sights with smells or see sounds as colours (Bradford, 2017).
• Taste – similarly to smell, not quite possible via virtual channels, however, if looking at the quality communication and high value messaging – these can be seen as a nutritiously delicious feast for the extra sense of knowledge that serves our souls and brain, enhancing the process of learning, followed by innovation | 

 

Digital communications in the business environment are very much grounded on the sensational levels, where both senses, the sensing organs that send information to the brain helping us understand the world, make choices, engage in or abandon projects, as well as sense as a meaning, play a critical role in their success of engagement with the right audiences for a sustainable benefit (Bradford, 2017) | 

 

The advantages of conducting business operations digitally are associated with several values that oscillate around

• Holistic approach – the diversity of processes, interactions, technological evolutions, changes in external and internal environments might influence the way digital communication is being conducted and automatically the generated results
• Constant flow – the time is the critical factor that influences the ongoing journey, the expected outcomes and the real results
• Effective leadership – people who influence others and impact the communication stream create the right environment for digital change to take place
• Technological and non-technological elements – customer-centric approach drives innovation through the merge of technology for the benefit of non-technological transformation | 

 

Digital communication and its usefulness to business settings are very much driven by the skillsets of personnel of organisations which is being recognised as one of the key obstacles for the poor level of digital transformation, amongst other factors as budget constraints, overcomplicated technology, inadequate digital experience, the opposition of leadership on innovative digital initiatives (Bayern, 2018) | 

 

To excel on diverse business levels is essential for today’s CEO to be open to change, to be excited about the possibilities that can appear with the use of new technology but simultaneously being aware of the risks of misuse of the capacities of digital tools or its overuse. Nowadays technology is no longer the luxury, it is a facilitator of every business practice and can be considered as the heart, the lungs, the stomach and the face of an organisation … the digital living organ of any organisation – the technology:

 

• Heart – the essential offering that communicated the business credo
• Lungs – the strategic breathing out (marketing/communication strategy)
• Stomach – the digestive track of any results generated internally and absorbed externally
• Face – the branding and the ultimate first impression of an organisation.

 

Doing business digitally means building bridges between companies and individuals through technological connectivity, collaboration, conducting business and building links between people. The future of business belongs to digital space however it needs some solid foundation from the strategic perspective to be successful | 

The facades of success for the architecture of digital advantage:

1 / regular market listening – for competitive advantage

2 / collaborative leadership – for the long-term vision

3 / unity for technology – for aligned dialogue

4 / clear direction – for one common goal

5 / openness to innovation – for the awareness of opportunities.

 

 

The key value of conducting business digitally is associated with the possibility of innovation and continuous improvement of performance by  accelerating activities, competences and models of businesses for the future gains that opens up the door to the room of growth and advancement | Dr A A Drzewiecka

 

Have a lovely day,

Ania

 

References

Bayern, M. (2018). The 5 biggest challenges to digital transformation and how to overcome them.The 5 biggest challenges to digital transformation and how to overcome them. Retrieved 2020, April 30 from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-5-biggest-challenges-to-digital-transformation-and-how-to-overcome-them/.

Brandford, A. (2017). The five (and more) senses.The five (and more) senses. Future US, Inc. Retrieved 2020, April 30 from https://www.livescience.com/60752-human-senses.html.

MSG (n.d). Seven c’s of effective communication.Seven c’s of effective communication. Retrieved 2020, April 30, from https://www.managementstudyguide.com/seven-cs-of-effective-communication.htm.