Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!uunet!microsoft!philba
From: philba@microsoft.UUCP (Phil Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Low Productivity of Knowledge Workers
Message-ID: <7765@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 20 Sep 89 01:06:03 GMT
References: <9676@venera.isi.edu> <189@crucible.UUCP> <291@voa3.UUCP>
Reply-To: philba@microsoft.UUCP (Phil Barrett)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 32

I didn't want to jump in but ....

I'm a pretty biased person when it comes to computers but I can describe
one specific aspect I have observed that has a strong positive impact
on white collar productivity: email.

At the `soft', we use email to tremendous benefit.  I've worked at companies
that didn't have email and I found that dealing with people outside your
immediate group to be incredibly inefficient -- phone tag and notes left
on peoples desks for example.  Now, I just send email.  Meetings are an
order of magnitude easier to arrange.  Another benefit is that it flattens
the organization.  My boss, his boss, his boss's boss, ... can ask me
questions and carry on a conversation with me.  Also, you can have discussion
groups with out calling meetings.  Its not unusual for the chairman of the
board to ask questions of individual contributors via email.  The entire
organization is far more efficient -- decisions are made and information 
is distributed more quickly.  

There is a dark side to email.  Humor doesn't communicate well.  The
distribution can be TOO wide and generate controversy/chaos. Its very easy
mortally insult someone, with out trying.  People can become isolated.
Its very easy to ignore mail you don't want to deal with (my biggest sin).
Some people just can't write but their verbal expression is good.

Even with the bad, I believe that Email connected organizations are much more
efficient.  I would never want to go back to a non-email environment.


Phil Barrett
Microsoft

I am solely responsible for the above comments