With all the means we have to communicate today, sadly it seems we understand each other less.  Recently, there was a sprited discussion on Linked In’s Public Relations and Communications Professionals Group, triggered by an article in Forbes, entitled,  Young people stop just Texting me and Give me a Call once in a while, PLZ!

The comments were fascinating and undergirding all of them was one question:  how do we know what means of communication to use and when?

Steps to Better Communication

Good communication first begins with listening and understanding the people we want to engage.  Before tapping on the keyboard or picking up the phone or pen (some people still do that), we should first ask:

  • Who is the person I want to engage and why?
  • Why would they be interested in what I want to say?
  • How do they access the world and information?  What means of communication are comfortable for them?

If we are serious about communicating, it should not be an “us” vs. “them” or texting vs. the phone. We should be focused on connecting and engaging and using the best means to do so. I agree, and so many of the digital natives who have never known a world without texting or the Internet, that texting and email can lead to confusion but so can the phone or any other means.

The key is to understand the advantages and limits of each means and to have the judgment and wisdom to use the right means for the situation at hand. Breaking up with a boyfriend or firing an employee is NOT best done over text, though we know it happens.  Conversely, setting up a meeting doesn’t require a face-to-face conversation.

The old adage “think before you speak” still holds true regardless of the advances in technology.  And one should always be open to new and different ways of doing things.  Like so many digital immigrants, I started texting because it was the best way for me to connect with my kids who have learned to meet me half way by sometimes using the phone.

In the end, good communication is one part content, one empathy and one part technology.

What do you think?