Silence to Signal
This came up in my RSS feeds today and I found it oddly appropriate seeing as how some people's lives have gotten quite crazy lately.
I'm feeling that there's a kind of ratio to associate with a manager's communications that I call the "silence to signal ratio (SSR)." E-mail and voicemail have provided direct ways to measure one's own SSR. How many e-mails and calls do you fail to return? Versus how many do you actually return?
There is a critical equilibrium to achieve in your personal SSR because if your SSR is equal to 0.0 (0% silence for 100% communications) then you're pushing the edge of humanity. On the other hand if your SSR is equal to 1.0 (100% silence for 100% communication) then either you're living on a deserted island or your co-workers and reports have moved you there and you're just sadly unaware that this has happened. Thus a high SSR should be avoided. Instead, a low SSR should be maintained to achieve a high degree of mental health and productivity within your social network.
Maeda recognizes quite exactly that we need to communicate with those around us (both at work and in more personal venues) in order to remain healthy. How much do we need to communicate? Well, that's left to the individual to fully determine.
I know that when I get so overwhelmed with things the I fall away from everyone else, it's a struggle to reconnect and take the time and effort to reply to e-mails or posts or make phone calls. We all get like that sometimes.
What has your SSR been lately? Are you tuned into it?
