It just took me 12 back-and-forth messages to set up a very simple meeting. I now cannot help but consider how much faster it could have been done if the other person and I could have had a 2 minute phone discussion. Certainly we would have arrived at the same conclusion, but in a much faster time frame.
Which leads me to my point – as convenient as it might be, email is not the best form of communication for complicated information, for personal correspondence or for any message which might have an emotional component.
Clarity of Message – Even the best of writers may struggle making some points in a written, email acceptable format.
Importance – Email can be ignored, delayed, lost in transmission. When the message has urgency or importance behind it, nothing helps the receiver understand the importance like hearing it directly from you.
Emotion – The reader cannot see our smiles, cannot hear the intonation of the comments and may be lost with the spirit of the writing. A sentence that may deliver necessary levity or seriousness when spoken lacks the intended punch when written.
People like to connect to other people. Email can be so impersonal. Next time pick up the phone, you might be surprised at the result.
Authored by: Zack Clark, MBA
Zack is a Senior Consultant and one of the founding partners at Five Degrees Consulting. This is a blog we share between several of the Consultants at Five Degrees, guest authors and colleagues. We work with companies large and small on People and Organization strategies. Our work specializes in organizational development, leadership effectiveness and executive development. With a focus on working with leaders at all levels to create an intentional corporate culture, we help organizations increase employee engagement, energize working teams, develop critical leadership competencies and enhance strategic communications for more information about our services, please connect with us.