Here are some excerpts and paraphrases from you
savvy communicators who wrote in:
Eddie (Gen-X) – “I prefer email or instant
message,
anything rather than talk to someone face-to-face.
I actually have to force myself to get up and go and
say hello to people. I am an incurable introvert.”
Jacqueline (Gen-X/BB cusp) – “Like your
step-son, it
depends on what I have going on as to whether I
want to have a face-to-face meeting, a phone
conversation or type an email. I know that when I
have a full inbox after a long weekend, I really don’t
want anyone coming to my door. I want to be able
to concentrate and get my e-mail cleared out. When
I have less on my plate, I’m more open to in-person
chats, questions and discussions.”
Joyce (Gen-X): “It has been difficult being
a Gen X-
er in business. We are sandwiched between two
very different market segments with very different
preferences or styles for communication. have
learned that in order to be successful in business, I
MUST cater my communication style to the
individual, rather than make brood-based
assumptions that everyone can adapt to my style.”
Nancy (BB): Told her 17-year-old son who
agreed
wholeheartedly on Gen-Y preferences, adding, “If
you stick your head around my office door, it’s harder
for me to ignore you.”
Rick (BB): Agreed about Gen-Yer
preferences, but
added, “Still, human nature does not change. The
most successful people communicate well and we are
drawn to them and admire them. The people with
the most hits on sites like MySpace and YouTube are
the most creative ones. They simply redirect their
talents.”
Dean (BB): “Don’t let people off the hook
for poor
social skills because they prefer a mode of
communication. The mode of communication is not
the reason for poor communication. It always comes
back to the human being, not the machine.”
Tracey (Gen-X): “It if it going to be a
difficult,
challenging or very positive discussion, I prefer to
have these in person. I also prefer this method when
I require the person’s full attention.” She prefers
email for simple topics, topics that require
documentation and those that require detailed
information. “Emails also allow me to quickly prioritize
vs. phone calls and messages that are much more
difficult to quickly prioritize.” She uses instant
messaging for person interactions when she wants to
multi-task, but rarely uses text-messaging, as it
takes too long to type versus just call or email.
Katherine (Gen-X) : “Hands down,
Generation Xers
are great at phone calls. We grew up before email.
We like the combination of personal contact with
efficiency.”
Beth (Gen-X) nearly always chooses
technology as
her preference.
- Non-urgent, response-needed communication: IM
or email.
- Follow-ups: email.
- Family and friends updates: email (can imbed
pictures, documents and send when she has time, no
matter the hour).
- Brainstorming/generating ideas: blogs and wikis
- Thank you notes: email or hand written.
David (BB): “Different times, people and
situations
call for different modes of communication. Don’t use
technology as a dividing line between age cohorts.
Use it instead as a divide of discourse. And pick the
mode that is just right for you and your interlocutor
at that particular time, place and space.”
John (BB) – “I can tell you that the phone is
my
second least-favorite means of communication (snail
mail is my first). Like an impromptu face-to-face,
the phone is intrusive and overkill when two-way is
not necessary (I need to tell you something, but you
don’t need to reply). Email, frankly, is already a bit
fuddy duddy, but perfect when more than a few
words at a time need to be conveyed and
conversation is unnecessary. It also requires no pre-
arrangement with the recipient (being online, letting
me be your buddy, etc.).
Maria (Gen-X) – I have found that while in
an office, folks use email to hide from face to face.
While working virtually, I will schedule a call just to
learn the voice inflections of new staff members.”
Dyana (Gen-X/BB cusp) – Prefers in this
order: 1)
face-to-face 2) email 3) phone. “But it makes me
crazy when I’m at lunch or a meeting and whoever
I’m with can’t get off their Blackberry!”
Linda (Gen-X) – "Here is how I prefer to
communicate:
- Face to face when it makes sense, but I
consolidate my face-to-face communications to
avoid breaking up people’s work.
- Text messages are great especially for people
who are off-site or off-continent. I check people’s
status and calendars though before I send. I also
send a pre-message – “Got a minute to chat?”
- I love email and it allows people to respond in
their own good time. Maybe I’m also a better
communicator wit the written word – makes me think
before I send.
I also believe you can actually develop relationships
with electronic communication – look at all of the
relationships found online! But I would never email
someone who is sitting right next to me and I know
people who do."
Barbara (BB) – “A couple of jobs back I was
dumbfounded that people sitting in cubes across from
me would choose to email me rather than walk a few
steps. I’ve since gotten used to it. One advantage is
that information can be disseminated to lots of
people very quickly.”
Joni (Gen- X) – “I email the general items
and go
face to face for clarification or to ask the hard
questions. Also, I think it is very important to
consider your relationship with the recipient when
sending email. The interpretation of information is
muddied with the “noise” from your previous dealings
and overall feelings about one another. For people I
work well with and think I have a good history with, I
am more prone to email. For those I have a less-
friendly or less-developed relationship with, I would
be more prone to face to face. It removes more of
the interpretation issues.”
Shawnna (Gen-X) – “I prefer communicating
electronically and I find it very annoying if someone I
need to talk to isn’t logged into instant message. It
isn’t that I don’t like to communicate in person, but
some things you just want a quick answer without
the possible distractions that can come with face to
face contact.
Donna (Gen-X) – "I believe the best way to
communicate, for me, is in person. If I get an email
or instant message, I often have to think and re-
think what the tone of the comment is and then the
tone of my response. I did not grow up with
technology (we had computer labs at my private
university and very few had computers in their dorm
rooms). I often find the cryptic responses of the
Gen Y-s can be perceived as unprofessional. Since
the Baby Boomers are, in general, the senior
leadership of an organization, I find it more
successful to us their preferred method of
communications. Just like you said, “Know your
audience.”
