We are living in an environment of ‘on the go connectivity’. Mobile phones and internet have eliminated time, distance and cost barriers to communication thus revolutionising the way we interact as individuals and as a society. Online communities and web blogs have established a new generation of searchers, creators, and sharers connecting people like never before. Modern communication tools have been a catalyst for the success of global businesses and for the evolution of global manager. I believe, innovation in communication technologies impacts not only the way we communicate but the way we lead our lives.

I am an avid user of new generation communication technologies. Communication tools I use include mobile phone, laptop/internet and blackberry. I use these tools mainly for chat, email, instant messaging, news/information search, online shopping, and for developing my social and professional networks.

My average usage of these communication tools would be as follows:

Impact of modern communication tools on personal life, on work and on studies

I believe, new communication tools and technologies have enabled me to be more effective and efficient in my studies and work whilst enjoying a higher quality of personal and family life. To me, modern communication tools offer the following advantages:

·         Stay connected with family and friends – Over the last 10 years my studies and work have led me to travel and live in various cities across the globe, sometimes away from home and family. But access to the internet and mobile phone enabled me to stay in touch with my family and friends at any time and thus not feel away from them. I believe that this satisfaction enabled me to also perform much better in my work place.

·         Develop and strengthen my personal and professional networks – New communication tools have enabled me to develop and build my personal and professional networks like never before. Be it high school friends, college class mates, or ex work colleagues, I can reach any of them with the click of a button. Web-based communities like Linkedin provide an excellent platform to stay abreast of people’s profile changes / career moves which is great for both personal and professional reasons.

·         Enhanced flexibility – Modern communication tools provide significant flexibility in terms of how we engage in our work. Tools like blackberry have changed the meaning of office, as people can access their emails from anywhere in the world and be accessible to their colleagues, even while travelling. Flexibility to work out of home, without in any way affecting the quality of my work has been a great boon for me especially after I had my baby as it enabled me to better balance my work and personal life.

·         Manage and lead global teams – Recently I worked in an international role leading teams and resources across geographies. With applications like teleconferencing and video conferencing, I was able to maintain continuous dialogue with my team thus eliminating barrier of time and distance and be more effective in my work.

Despite all the benefits, modern communication tools pose some serious challenges, some of which include:

·         Increasing overlap between working hours and personal time

·         Reducing personal contact with colleagues / friends as more and more communication is remotely handled

·         Creating misunderstanding between people due to limited one-on-one contact

·         Greater isolation as people are spend more time working with the communication tools rather than with each other

Modern communication tools enhance our efficiency and productivity by giving us greater flexibility in managing our work. However, they are not a total substitute for personal meetings/ face to face contact.

I believe that modern communication tools are a progress for business women’s work and private lives, thus helping them achieve their career goals. Tools like laptop and blackberry provide a woman with increased flexibility in terms of working hours and work location, without sacrificing their work for family or vice-versa. I believe modern communication tools will be a key enabler for more and more women to advance their professional careers and take on leadership positions.

My dream for a future technology would be the ‘virtual transportation’ idea from star trek wherein a person could be transported through a virtual network and be ‘seen’ to be present somewhere else whilst physically being at another location…all this in real time! If this could happen, it would be a dream because I can then save my travel time and interact with colleagues as I would if I were in office. It would be a different world!