Q: Dear AQC, I. Hate. The. Phone. I know it’s a standard means of communication in almost any job, but I dread using it. Most of the people I work with are baby boomers and when they want to talk to me they don’t consider it an imposition to make that big box on my desk scream at me. In most cases the phone calls I receive could just as well be a simple email or text. I also find that most phone calls end up being a time suck because you begin chatting about unrelated topics. I keep hinting that I prefer email but they don’t seem to get the message. Is there any way to get the point across that the phone is the worst way to talk to me? Sincerely, #Email4Life
A:
Dear #Email4Life,
For people who work in broadcast it seems ironic to hate the phone but you are not alone, especially among millennials.
Personally, it doesn’t bother me to schedule a phone interview by email and call at the specified time, but when it comes time to reach out to someone I reach first for the keyboard, not the phone. On top of that I get irrationally irritated when MY phone rings: who are these crazy people interrupting me and wanting my attention?! Oh right, my colleagues.
There are many advantages of email: you have a record of your communication, it helps keep the conversation on track and to the point, it’s asynchronous so it doesn’t interrupt a task in process, and you can share information with an entire group at once. As an email lover I use all of these as justification for why my communication preference should be universal, but in reality it’s not universal and it’s not objective, it’s a preference.
I have come to recognize that email has drawbacks too. Beyond common complaints of endless carbon copies of emails that have nothing to do with your work and those people who have not yet gotten the memo that “reply all” is a bad idea there are also the problems of emails getting lost in the deluge of press releases and other flotsam in your colleagues’ inboxes, or not seeming time sensitive to phone adapted baby boomers. Plus you lose the nuance of vocal tone and inflection.
So as a fellow phone-phobic, here’s some advice to finding a middle ground:
Consider the desired outcome of your communication and choose email or phone as the task requires-- like I said, each one has their advantages and disadvantages.
If you are busy and someone calls you, don’t take the call irritably, act like it’s your mom. By that I mean answer and acknowledge the call with kindness and tell the caller you’re busy and will get back to them asap-- then do it.
When you call a colleague ask if they have a moment and, if they say yes, get straight to the point. Make sure you know exactly what you want to discuss because no one wants to get numerous follow-up phone calls in a row.
Make a script and use it. If you have to make outward facing calls as part of your job smile and use a script to make sure you cover exactly what you want to discuss. Have something else prepared for leaving a voicemail (including your email address if you’d prefer a response that way).
On my voicemail I also give my email address so callers have the option of emailing me in the interim of my receiving their message.
We all have colleagues who love to talk, on the phone or otherwise, if you find yourself with a chronic talker feel to answer by saying, “Hi so-and-so, what can I do for you?” which forces them to get right to the point.
Part of any job involves relationships and nurturing those relationships are important. If a colleague has a different communication preference it’s respectful not to choose YOUR preference every time. I hope you wouldn’t insist on a steakhouse lunch every time you dined with a vegetarian colleague!
And for those who get fed up by the extraneous conversation and small talk on the phone, it’s a good reminder that these are the niceties that build relationships and respect.
Yours truly,
AQC
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