It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the whole of South Africa had hoped to see the end of load shedding in December last year. Unfortunately it came back even stronger in March this year, and we’ve now experienced load shedding being implemented at higher stages than before, straight for 24 hours. At work, this means we’d either have to use our own data (if the mobile network is available) to send e-mails – hoping that our laptops or phones won’t die on us – or hold off all communication while the power is off; usually for two hours or more. Fortunately there still is a world outside of electronic communication, however, and it turns out it even comes with its own set of perks.
Dust off your people skills and have an old-fashioned face-to-face conversation with the person in your building you’ve been e-mailing most this week. A few years ago, the University of California (UCLA) found that the more people embrace screens, the worse they become at reading emotional cues. UCLA predicted that “those who retain this skill are certain to have better success in any workplace”. While this study focused on the performance of pre-teens, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure that we can still talk to each other – face to face.
The other highly underrated non-electronic method of communication is the humble sticky note. Something that started off as a failed attempt to make a new kind of glue in 1968, became an industry of unmissable bright yellow squares in the 1970s. Consumer psychologist (and associate dean of Sam Houston State University) Randy Garner has found that sending a request via a written sticky note was almost twice as effective as a typed request. Garner believes that a message written on a sticky note looks like a special favour is being asked, making the receiver feel important and more willing to comply.
So, take heart. Just because there’s a blackout, it doesn’t mean you’re powerless. Knock on your colleague’s door the next time you’re in the dark and want to talk shop. And invest in some sticky notes!
