It really amazes me that with all we have in the form of technology some people still have a really hard time adhering to even the most rudimentary levels of communication. I try very hard to make sure I communicate as best as I can because I hate it when someone doesn't reply to an email or return a phone call.
Before I continue my rant, let's go through all of the ways we can communicate.
• Talking face to face – this is the most basic form of communication and arguably the best.
• Mail (Snail mail) – Still used today although it appears only by bill collectors and Victoria's Secret; effective but slow.
• Telephone – Alexander Graham Bell would be amazed at how his invention has progressed. It seems everyone, even those at the tender age of 10, is now sporting cell phones. While you lose the hand gestures, the telephone still allows us to convey emotion making it very useful!
• Email – Email has been around since before the internet started and is the most widely used form of communication on the net. It works well except for the lack of human emotion; we've all had someone misunderstand something we said in an email. Sometimes it's best to just pick up the phone.
• Instant Messaging – This again has been around for quite some time and while you're at your computer or on a smart phone this is a fast and easy way to chat with your friends.
• Social Networks – Facebook has given us another way to chat and find friends. The interesting part about social networks is it allows us to quickly see what are friends have been up to.
So with all of these forms of communication (and yes I realize I have missed some, text messaging, Twitter etc.) why do some people have such a hard time? I truly believe communication is one of the most important aspects of life whether it is work, relationships or parenting. Being clear, concise, reliable and learning to listen is something very few of us can say we do well.
For the people that I have been dealing with lately in business, wow is all I can say. I honestly don't understand how some people become even remotely successful in life when they don't communicate properly. If you are too busy to return a call within one business day, and the same goes for an email, you are one of two things; bad at managing your time or just plain ignorant.
The lesson to everyone reading this, don’t end up being one of the jerks described above. Return your calls and emails, become more organized and life in general will be much easier to deal with. Good luck.
