I’m having an affair with my phone. It’s true. And I think my email is starting to notice. For years, since even before we called it email, I have had a long lasting relationship with writing emails. I started working in Corporate America at the age of 17, and I was there for all the NO CAPS, use punctuation and “why is there no sarcasm font?” conversations about using email. I’ve used emails to say hi, to say bye, and to cover my own tail. Because if it’s written, then no one can say I didn’t TELL them, right?
Oh gosh, do you have any idea how many hours I have spent immersed in email? And, because now I’m super focused on how much TONE someone can read into my messages, I’m spending that much more time trying to make sure that the tone was friendly…helpful…non-judgmental. And you know what I’ve learned? I need to pick up the phone; just pick up the phone and call! Here are my top 5 reasons I’m forsaking email (when I can) and going back to my first love, the phone (oh remember when you were 16 and spent hours just talking on it? Bliss)
#5 TIME SAVED: turns out, while an email might be quicker in the moment–by the time you write, check your spelling (please at least do that), make sure you don’t address to the wrong person, wait for a response and then begin the conversation, you could have already had the conversation AND asked the person on the other end how their family is doing.
#4 TONE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE: We recently asked our clients about what causes them to be de-motivated. So many said that a lot of that demotivation comes from problems with coworkers that truly stem from miscommunication. It’s so easy to read into emails (and sticky notes on the computer and notices we put on our bulletin boards) and decide that the sender is being a jerk. Stop the madness! Have the phone conversation; say what you mean to say, the way you want the other person to hear it, and check for understanding. Hey, do this in person, as well. If their eyes get big, you may have used the wrong tone–just putting it out there.
#3 RELATIONSHIP BUILDING: Do you want to live in a world where we respond in only writing, where we don’t know how to look people in the eye and talk with them, where we exist with bent necks staring at our phones all the time or do you want to have REAL conversations with REAL people making a REAL difference? We have to keep things personal. Your relationships with your customers and your coworkers, I promise you, will be so much stronger if you will have more of the conversations you need to on the phone and in person.
#2 GET TO THE TRUTH, NOT JUST YOUR STORY: I’ve had a million and one arguments in my own head about what someone’s intentions were in an email they sent. (This also results in wasted time). Don’t spend time agonizing over what you think someone really means. Have your conversations live, ask questions, and if you want to know more about what someone means, ask them!
And the #1 reason…YOU’LL SLAY DRAGONS: Over the last ten days, I have felt almost twice as productive as usual. The key difference is this. Almost every time I’ve had a question for a client, every time I’ve wanted to know about a product or a service, or how the folks on our team have been doing–I’ve called them. I had a conversation with Beth about a huge Grand Opening training plan we’re about to dive into. Less than twenty minutes later, when she called me back to mention something else, I had already looked at flights, confirmed dates, assigned trainers, AND called and confirmed them all. Beth said, “Man, we slayed dragons today.” Exactly. I think we get so bogged down in our processes, with our memos and our bulletin boards, with all our rules and Do’s and Don’ts, that we miss the opportunity to really dig in and personally work with our teams. But oh, it feels so much more meaningful to collaborate with your team!
All of this is to say ‘just pick up the phone!’ and call that customer. Go talk to that coworker face to face. Use email when it makes sense to, but remember that sometimes that face to face or phone conversation can help you slay dragons.
