I have to admit, and I am little embarrassed, but I do watch Big Brother, and am fascinated about the dynamics of human interaction. One day it is all acting up for the cameras, forcing their personality into our living rooms, then they fight, then they are all best friends, then they are upset, miserable, happy – you get my point. But isn’t that life, human interaction and the emotions that sometimes you only appreciate when you can see the whites of the eyes of the person or people next to you?

It made me start to think about how we interact with our colleagues, suppliers, and customers is rapidly changing through the lightning pace of change in communications technology. I read the other day a journalist commenting on how communications is changing the way we all live and interact, he even dared to say that actually we wouldn’t necessarily even go to the pub for a social beer, but we would all be at the Cyberspace Inn saying ‘cheers’ online. Something’s can go too far.

Within the office environment, modern communications is changing the way we do business, being greener, reducing travel, reducing office overhead costs, instantly being able to find out if someone 300 miles away is available just by looking for the green jelly bean. Video conferencing is becoming more of a daily occurrence – I can see my web cam staring at me right now – (hope its switched off), and we are all becoming Max Headrooms of our generation. I have been marketing business communications for eight years, and the reason I like it so much is the ever changing pace and technology that has transformed from an essential piece of kit that sits on your desk, to a fundamental way businesses operate, and compete for customers, increasing their productivity and enhancing customer service, ensuring the security of their information, and making sure that businesses can continue through a disaster with a strategic Business Continuity plan. A small business can now operate and be perceived as a much larger corporate. We are all much more productive at work because of it, can you even imagine life without email, your mobile, or teleconferencing – doesn’t bare thinking about!

So getting back to Big Brother and the raw emotions from human interaction – communications technology will not slow down, and the way we interact at work will continue to be driven by efficiency and productivity, and I am all for it – it is absolutely fascinating – however one thing is for sure, there must be a limit, communication must take its place in all of our work / life balance – and as its Friday night, I am not going to log onto the Cyberspace Inn, I am going to the local to ‘interact’ with friends, family and a pint and witness those raw emotions first hand.