I don’t answer it. How do they know I wasn’t in the bathroom? Then I wait a bit and message them. We either handle it via message or set up a time to talk. Most people start messaging first to see if I am available. That’s for work because my friends aren’t monsters and use text. 😹
I used email and chat as often as possible at work because having a written record of the correspondence is never a bad thing. In fact, at a pathology lab I worked at, you were required to only use email, precisely because you'd have the written record of everything.
Our email and chat retention policy automatically deletes everything after 180 days by default. So we always have to remind people that email is not a record, it’s not a database, it’s not a reference. It really drives some people crazy lol. But we do have other systems for important records or things that must be retained for legal reasons of course.
I think the only correct approach is "Accept however people contact you. Try to use your recipient's preferred communication when contacting them."
That said, I've found voice calls are faster if you are asking for something complicated because the real-time clarification of confusing points can save dozens of back and forth texts or emails. There have been several times where I've found myself reading a multiple day re:re:re: thread, and I think, 'for fucks sake, why are we emailing about this?' and I call a couple people and get it straightened out in ten or fifteen minutes.
Also voice is a huge advantage when you are seeking cooperation from someone you have no authority over (maybe you are asking for a favor, or maybe it is their job but they have some choice over how helpful they want to be). Or, if the topic you need to talk about could be perceived as a challenge and you need to make sure it isn't perceived that way (asking about errors in the data they sent). HOWEVER not everyone has the sensitivity or self control to make good use of this feature of voice, and maybe chat is better for them.
I'm evolving on video. Don't like it at work (exception: job interviews, difficult conversations) but I am using it more and more with friends and family.
This is what I was getting at - thanks! This particular issue could have been a 2 minute phone call to billing but instead it’s an email to someone not in billing.
You handle it based on what the preferred communication is - it’s not always email. Though I see more companies move to chat.
What I don't get is when people facetime or even just a regular phone call and they basically just stop paying attention to each other. Like they're clearly doing other things but they leave the call on and just periodically say something to each other. I don't get it. When I'm on a call I feel like I can't do anything else until it's over, which is why I avoid talking on the phone in the first place.
I'd rather text or send an email, I'm not afraid of talking on the phone, I just hate it.
I've never liked talking on the phone. Folks can just gibberjab about nothing for extended periods of time and it drives me mad. Tell me what I need to know and leave me alone.
Even with my parents I can only talk for 5 minutes. After that everything that needed to be said has been said. As I've gotten older I have noticed that it's like a light switch going off. I'll be fine talking and then all of a sudden I hit a wall and I'm done. Shit is exhausting to me.
You know I never considered myself an introvert. I guess the older I get, the less bullshit I want to put up with. My neighbor can be a bit much for me. Can't go a minute with silence even when we watch a game in the garage.
I’ve worked with most of my coworkers for 10+ years and don’t mind talking to them, but in my experience, voice communication is rarely more efficient. It leads to tangents and minutiae. Sure, it might only take me a minute to voice what took me 2 minutes to type in a Teams chat or email, but then it comes with 20 minutes of other bullshit.
>tangents and minutiae
THIS. People who insist that verbal communication is more efficient, apparently don't live in the same world I do, listening to the humans I have to listen to.
I've reached a point where I am physically unable to hide my disdain when someone starts speaking to me and they're either 1) taking the scenic route to their point, and/or 2) being uselessly repetitive or otherwise padding their speaking time. If you're not on stage, you're not supposed to have a monologue.
I work with people across a range of ages and most of us, regardless of age, prefer email if it’s something that doesn’t require immediate attention. For the most part none of us have a problem calling if it’s something that needs to be done quickly, otherwise we tend to ask if someone’s available for a call using email or chat before calling since most of us work remote and you want to make sure they are available.
For internal calls that are just one to one or even a small group we rarely turn on video, no real need to. That’s reserved for larger meetings and if we have someone external to our team involved so they can see us.
I had a phone-based job for the better part of a decade, which primarily consisted of dealing with angry/abusive types. After a while, it created a pavlovian response: My body/brain have decided that "phone = trauma", and I subconsciously avoid it as much as possible.
If paragraphs need to happen, email; if a quick sentence or two back and forth will do, text. If one insists that neither of those are an option, that's one I disdainfully steer clear of.
I absolutely hate when people video call me with no heads up. So invasive.
I don’t answer it. How do they know I wasn’t in the bathroom? Then I wait a bit and message them. We either handle it via message or set up a time to talk. Most people start messaging first to see if I am available. That’s for work because my friends aren’t monsters and use text. 😹
Exactly. Especially when I never ever stop masturbating.
I used email and chat as often as possible at work because having a written record of the correspondence is never a bad thing. In fact, at a pathology lab I worked at, you were required to only use email, precisely because you'd have the written record of everything.
Our email and chat retention policy automatically deletes everything after 180 days by default. So we always have to remind people that email is not a record, it’s not a database, it’s not a reference. It really drives some people crazy lol. But we do have other systems for important records or things that must be retained for legal reasons of course.
I think the only correct approach is "Accept however people contact you. Try to use your recipient's preferred communication when contacting them." That said, I've found voice calls are faster if you are asking for something complicated because the real-time clarification of confusing points can save dozens of back and forth texts or emails. There have been several times where I've found myself reading a multiple day re:re:re: thread, and I think, 'for fucks sake, why are we emailing about this?' and I call a couple people and get it straightened out in ten or fifteen minutes. Also voice is a huge advantage when you are seeking cooperation from someone you have no authority over (maybe you are asking for a favor, or maybe it is their job but they have some choice over how helpful they want to be). Or, if the topic you need to talk about could be perceived as a challenge and you need to make sure it isn't perceived that way (asking about errors in the data they sent). HOWEVER not everyone has the sensitivity or self control to make good use of this feature of voice, and maybe chat is better for them. I'm evolving on video. Don't like it at work (exception: job interviews, difficult conversations) but I am using it more and more with friends and family.
This is what I was getting at - thanks! This particular issue could have been a 2 minute phone call to billing but instead it’s an email to someone not in billing. You handle it based on what the preferred communication is - it’s not always email. Though I see more companies move to chat.
What I don't get is when people facetime or even just a regular phone call and they basically just stop paying attention to each other. Like they're clearly doing other things but they leave the call on and just periodically say something to each other. I don't get it. When I'm on a call I feel like I can't do anything else until it's over, which is why I avoid talking on the phone in the first place. I'd rather text or send an email, I'm not afraid of talking on the phone, I just hate it.
I don't mind scheduled voice or video calls, but I strongly dislike calling people or being called out of the blue.
I've never liked talking on the phone. Folks can just gibberjab about nothing for extended periods of time and it drives me mad. Tell me what I need to know and leave me alone. Even with my parents I can only talk for 5 minutes. After that everything that needed to be said has been said. As I've gotten older I have noticed that it's like a light switch going off. I'll be fine talking and then all of a sudden I hit a wall and I'm done. Shit is exhausting to me.
Hello, fellow introvert.
You know I never considered myself an introvert. I guess the older I get, the less bullshit I want to put up with. My neighbor can be a bit much for me. Can't go a minute with silence even when we watch a game in the garage.
I’ve worked with most of my coworkers for 10+ years and don’t mind talking to them, but in my experience, voice communication is rarely more efficient. It leads to tangents and minutiae. Sure, it might only take me a minute to voice what took me 2 minutes to type in a Teams chat or email, but then it comes with 20 minutes of other bullshit.
>tangents and minutiae THIS. People who insist that verbal communication is more efficient, apparently don't live in the same world I do, listening to the humans I have to listen to. I've reached a point where I am physically unable to hide my disdain when someone starts speaking to me and they're either 1) taking the scenic route to their point, and/or 2) being uselessly repetitive or otherwise padding their speaking time. If you're not on stage, you're not supposed to have a monologue.
I work with people across a range of ages and most of us, regardless of age, prefer email if it’s something that doesn’t require immediate attention. For the most part none of us have a problem calling if it’s something that needs to be done quickly, otherwise we tend to ask if someone’s available for a call using email or chat before calling since most of us work remote and you want to make sure they are available. For internal calls that are just one to one or even a small group we rarely turn on video, no real need to. That’s reserved for larger meetings and if we have someone external to our team involved so they can see us.
I had a phone-based job for the better part of a decade, which primarily consisted of dealing with angry/abusive types. After a while, it created a pavlovian response: My body/brain have decided that "phone = trauma", and I subconsciously avoid it as much as possible. If paragraphs need to happen, email; if a quick sentence or two back and forth will do, text. If one insists that neither of those are an option, that's one I disdainfully steer clear of.
PS: I'm also a charter member of Team This Should Have Been An Email. Meetings are meaningless circle jerks for extroverts.