Information Overload: How does information overload impact your communications?
ID: 453284 • Letter: I
Question
Information Overload: How does information overload impact your communications? After reading about information overload, what steps will you take to preserve your communications reputation?
OR
Audience: "I can sell anyone anything as long as I understand the potential buyer's needs and wants."--Salesman of the Year, 2014
This salesman has the confidence of someone who knows and understands his audience's needs, and chances are he makes a lot of sales as a result! What can happen when writers fail to take their audience into consideration? Give an example from your own experience of the types of repercussions that this failure can have.
Explanation / Answer
Information overload affects individual knowledge workers, who are struggling to perform their jobs drowning in humongous amount of data, as well as the organizations, whose productivity suffer as a consequence.
The overall impacts of information overload on an organization are inefficiencies and lost opportunities.
Negative neurological impacts of information overload are identified in a 2005 Harvard Business Review article by EM Hallowell, as attention deficit trait. ADT leads to distractibility, impatience and inner frenzy, which makes it difficult for people to stay organized, setting priorities, and managing time.
Steps to manage information overload to help you preserve your communications reputation