I was chatting with a friend the other day about his frustrations in having a solid conversation with one of his colleagues.
It seemed he has very specific ideas around making a product decision. One that would disrupt the status quo a bit, but in his mind, was the absolute right decision. He had sent several emails to the decision-maker and they’d just kept putting them/him off.
I’d asked if he’d called them and he looked at me as if I was crazy. He was like…
They don’t often answer their phone as they’re busy, so that doesn’t work;
They don’t like to talk face-to-face and, frankly, neither do I;
Why can’t they just make a decision in my favor and respond in email? Oh, and taking appropriate action?
We left it that he should call them or, better yet, Zoom them with both cameras on. I felt that he was missing an important aspect of human connection. In fact, he wasn’t “connecting”. He was lobbing ideas out into email without any emotional or physical connection.
I’d like to share a communication list with you. On the top, are more effective ways to communicate. And, as you go down the scale, your communication increasingly loses its effectiveness and connection—
PLUS - Rich Conversation / Connection
Face-to-face, in-person (outside office)
Face-to-face, in-person (in office)
Face-to-face, virtually with both cameras ON
NEUTRAL - Ok Conversation / Connection
Virtually, cameras off
Phone call
Slack threads
Email
MINUS - Terrible Conversation / Connection
Texts, other forms of chat
Slack
Legal correspondence
Telegraph/Morse Code, Smoke signals, Pony express
Wrapping Up
I’d like to encourage all of us, particularly in these challenging Covid-19 times, to not lose the art of face-to-face communication. That is, talking to each other.
I mean…really talking!
Let the passion, body language, expressiveness, and emotion shine through. Ask questions in real-time. And actively listen to the other person. I mean…really, deeply listen!
See what happens. You might just regain the lost art of face-to-face communication that Dinosaurs like me have historically found to be quite valuable.
Now if I could just find a payphone…
Stay agile my friends,
Bob.
