The Hyperconnectivity Trap: Why "Fast" Communication is Slowing You Down

Communication has never been faster or cheaper. While we may be saving a lot on carrier pigeon feed, we have a new set of challenges in the modern day. We live in a world of constant pings, notifications, and the relentless expectation of instant replies. One might think this "hyperconnectivity" is making us more productive than ever before, but is it really? Here at idlespace, a collective of engineers, artists, filmmakers, and tech enthusiasts, we've come to a more nuanced realization: the speed at which we communicate might actually be bogging us down and making us less productive.

The Illusion of Efficiency: The Perils of "Fast" Communication

Our brains are wired for immediate responses. Evolutionary pressures molded us to react in real-time, where a moment's hesitation could mean life or death. The modern workplace, however, is not the unforgiving savannah.

Nowadays, the constant barrage of messages, emails, and Slack notifications creates an overwhelming sense of urgency, leading us to feel pressure to respond quickly. That said, some obvious pitfalls of rushing a response include:

• Incomplete/Incorrect Information: when we provide answers without fully understanding the context or gathering all the necessary information, it leads to errors and miscommunication.
• Too Many Notifications: A flurry of fragmented messages creates a chaotic information landscape, making it difficult to sift through and find what's important.
• Increased Stress: The constant pressure to respond creates a sense of anxiety and overwhelm. This not only negatively affects us, but also the people we're messaging. Who doesn’t get stressed by those little red notification dots?
• Interruptions Galore: Each notification disrupts our focus, leading to reduced productivity.

This is the Hyperconnectivity Trap. We mistake activity for productivity. We equate speed with efficiency.

Similar to different modes of thinking, as described in Daniel Kahneman's book "Thinking, Fast and Slow", we need to differentiate between fast and slow communication. "Fast" is reactive and emotional; "slow" is thoughtful and logical. But how might one go about embracing "slow" communication?

We mistake activity for productivity. We equate speed with efficiency.

The Power of Asynchronous Communication: Embracing the "Slow"

Here's a story to illustrate how I've used slow communication. Recently, our team faced a challenge: a critical member was traveling to a country in a substantially different time zone. In the past, this time difference had been a source of frustration, leading to fragmented communication and delays. This time, we decided to turn it into an advantage.

Instead of bombarding our traveling colleague with a constant barrage of messages throughout the day, we adopted a new approach. The team routed all communication through me. I compiled updates, questions, and action items into a single, comprehensive message in Slack while he was sleeping. This message evolved throughout our day, and I sent it before logging off in the evening.

The result? When our colleague woke up, he received one clear, concise summary instead of a chaotic flood of notifications. This improved his focus, made it easier for him to respond, and ultimately contributed to the project's success.

Nurturing Growth: The "Slow" Approach to Mentorship

I've also seen the benefits of "slow" communication in mentoring junior colleagues. Fresh graduates often come to the workplace with a flurry of questions, which is perfectly understandable. However, constant interruptions can disrupt workflow for both the mentor and the mentee.

To address this, I implemented a structured communication schedule. With very new juniors, we had a dedicated "question time" twice a day. More autonomous juniors had a single daily session. The rules were simple: compile your questions, try to work through them independently, and bring them to our scheduled meeting.

The results were remarkable:

• Efficient Workflow: Both the juniors and I experienced less disruption and greater focus.
• Increased Independence: The juniors often found that by persevering, they could answer many of their own questions.
• Enhanced Learning: Scheduled meetings provided dedicated time for training and relationship building.
• Reduced Anxiety: Knowing they would have my undivided attention put the juniors at ease.

These juniors even carried these techniques to other teams, promoting a culture of thoughtful communication.

The Power of AI-Enhanced "Slow" Communication

Embracing "slow" communication offers a multitude of benefits, and AI can be a powerful ally in this endeavor.

• Accuracy and Completeness: Let’s say your boss asks you to refresh his memory regarding the purpose of an upcoming meeting with a client. Instead of blurting out whatever you remember off the top of your head, use an LLM like Gmail’s built-in Gemini to read through your emails and ask it to summarize that for you. It can even make you an agenda to boot! Why bother responding off the cuff when you have AI on your side?
• Clearer Composition: Instead of just typing a verbal diarrhea email and hitting send, ask an LLM to help compose it. One trick I like to use: I explain the message I want to write, then ask the LLM to ask me three clarification questions before generating a response. This helps identify blind spots in what could have been a poorly thought-out email.
• Improved Prioritization: Instead of going through your inbox by reading each individual email, use an LLM to summarize entire threads. This can help give you a better overview of your inbox, allowing you to better triage your priorities.
• Meeting Management: Meetings, while often necessary, can be hugely disruptive if not managed effectively. How often has a meeting derailed your entire day? Often I'm caught up working on something discussed in a meeting I just had, only to realize hours later I should have been working on something else of a higher priority. AI tools can record and transcribe meetings, generating summaries and extracting action items. When action items are recorded and shared, team members can address them when their schedules allow and prioritize them against their existing workload.

While all the recommendations above take a little extra time compared to hurried actions, I assure you the time taken is well worth it.

The Importance of Waiting for Your “Point-Person”

When communicating externally, I strongly recommend (nay, I implore) designating a single point of contact for the external team to communicate with. This approach offers several crucial benefits:

• Ensuring Alignment: Designating a single point of contact helps your team internally coordinate and prevent redundant communication, maintaining a professional unified front.
• Maintaining Clarity: having a point-person keeps chains of communication clear, orderly and linear. This comes in handy if you ever need to revisit something months or even years down the road (I've been there).

While it might be tempting to jump in and respond, especially when you have the answer readily available, remember that patience is a virtue in external communication. Designating and respecting a single point-person fosters a professional, coordinated image, avoids unnecessary confusion, and ultimately strengthens your team's external relationships. This approach prioritizes clarity and efficiency over speed.

What can you do?

Now that you’ve read all this, how can you implement these learnings into your day-to-day?

1. Embrace the Pause: Back in the day when paper products were pricey and letters languished on long journeys, you had no other choice but to reflect first and write second. Let's bring some of that back. Take a beat to reflect, gather your thoughts, and communicate with intention.
2. Designate a Point-Person for all external communication: By establishing a clear point of contact, you streamline external interactions, minimize misunderstandings, define clear roles, and present a united front. 
3. Use AI to your Advantage: AI tools can be invaluable allies in promoting "slow" communication. By leveraging AI for tasks like email summarization, drafting assistance, and meeting management, you can free up mental bandwidth and create space for more thoughtful and deliberate communication practices.

Now go forth and slay thy day!