By Michael Bland, BS, CCRP In this day and age, we rely heavily on passive communication mediums for the majority of our interactions with one another. Whether it’s Facebook Messenger, Text Message, or email, we seem to neglect the good old fashioned pick-up and dial method. This is not to say that every situation calls for…well a call. The situation and individuals involved determines the avenue of communication. Generally, we all use email for everyday and initial point of contact (POC) communication. The notion for initial POC being an email is that it is now considered rude for someone to pick-up the phone and cold call a contact. This would not be the case if the relationship already exists with the individual. However, for the purposes of this discussion, we are talking specifically inter-office communication.
When communicating with your peers, I am sure you have utilized all of the above stated methods at some point or another. Again, the situation is what dictated the avenue used to communicate with your peers. Just meeting up after work or on a weekend would not be a reason to send an email. That would be silly unless the person strictly utilizes that form of communication. However, if you were following-up with your boss from a meeting, an email would be completely appropriate. If you had an emergency and you needed to notify your boss, a phone call would clearly be the most direct option to use.
In review, we use very many forms of communication, but we often fail to utilize the most appropriate form as dictated by the situation. Taking those extra few seconds to choose the correct medium is a difference maker in being professional and being sloppy. Communicate effectively and appropriately.
