We have all been there: meeting after meeting, after endless meeting. We have been e-mailed (about the outcomes of those same meetings) ’til the cows came home and went back out to pasture again. As if that is not enough, the powers that be want us to send out a report to ‘all’ about all of the above. Enough already. This is communication overload at its unproductive worst.

Without a doubt communication is important at every step of the way – but uncontrolled and with the aid of its grinning, evil twin, information overload, it has become like a wild beast that no one is willing to tame. Instead of throwing a well-aimed lasso to rein it in, more of us are trying to jump on the back of this bucking bronco called out of control communication. And all for what? A chance to appear to be more busy and more important than everyone else.

So, let us call a spade, the shovel that it is. Communication overload is that point where we over-do teamwork and collaboration to the point of alienating each other and losing the message and our way towards successfully closing the deal. In that normal, rational world, communication is vital and the life-blood of our businesses. We operate successfully in the knowledge that we are all ‘on same page’ and on board in our understanding of activities and information about the project or the business. Information and instructions will reach Tom Jones the same time it hits the desk of Mary Smith and they will both act on said directives not it bewilderment but with the certain knowledge that the information received is useful and meaningful to be used in the constructive furtherance of the company’s business.

In this world (some call it make-believe) our managers are on the ball and cognizant of the importance of ensuring that when we speak with staff members the key messages about the company are the same and the information and instructions are also similar. That crucial point where the problem of over communication rears its ugly hydra-head is when we include someone like Miss Mac who cheerfully serves us tea in the morning, in this chain of communication in which she has no business or interest. I exaggerate of course but poor Miss Mac finds herself a party to cc: in e-mails and she does not have a clue how she became involved in the first place. Is this some kind of punishment, after all, she was sure that in sticking slavishly to her job description she was doing quite well in the long-service department. When this happens we know we have reached the point of hyper-collaboration where everybody is included in everything.

I know that for some of us, the main reason for throwing the communication net as far and wide as possible so that everyone is included is to catch that renegade employee who “neva know nutten yet”. You and I know him quite well, he has watched enough episodes of ‘Law and Order’ to know when to ‘plead the fifth amendment’ when caught. He complains that someone out there is always withholding information useful to his job function from him and he is always the last to know about things pertaining to actual work. But, funny enough he is never out the loop about the latest staff party or company shin-dig. He is always selectively knowledgeable and annoying. It is because of people like him why people like us send e-mails to all and sundry – terrorizing stand out employees like poor Miss Mac.

Let us try and strangle the beast of communication overload by having an objective, an agenda, a definite start and end time at all our meetings whether they be physical or virtual. Most importantly everyone who attends the meeting must have a specific and deliverable reason for being at said meeting – not just to enjoy the coffee and tea. If all the members of the department or team do not have to be present at our table Lord do not issue a general e-mail invite. Trust me, they will appreciate you for it.

An excellent starting point in weeding out those who do not need to know is to cull the e-mail list. Reconsider everyone on your list and do not automatically click ‘Reply to All’ when sending out a response, especially if it one of those brilliant one-liners which is reads something like

‘Thanks’ or ‘OK’. We, the ‘long suffering on the ‘Reply to All’ list are respectfully asking you to take us off this list. Beg You. It clutters up our in-box and feeds the hungry demon of information over-load.

Before you have a meeting, think and consider whether or not it is important to have one. Try and reduce the layers and layers of time-wasting review meetings and do not have an internal meeting to prepare for a meeting. There comes a point where you will begin to look utterly ridiculous and your co-workers will begin to lay bets on who will get the tin of Milo and milk if they take you ‘in’.

Focus squarely on the deliverables of each member of your team. Find out if they are bringing to the table the tasks to which they have been assigned. By following up on individual deliverables you narrow your e-mail list and deal only on those critical persons and areas. You too can slay the beast of over communication.

Yvonne Grinam-Nicholson, (MBA, ABC) is a Business Communications Consultant with ROCommunications Jamaica, specializing in business communications and financial publications. She can be contacted at: yvonne@rocommunications.com. Visit her website at www.rocommunications.com and post your comments.