We are communicative creatures. We always have something we need to say. Something we need someone else to hear. That last part being perhaps the most important part to consider when it comes to how we choose communicate. How we communicate affects what is received.
If you’re trying to ask someone for data, email is a decent tool. If you’re trying to build a relationship, face to face will be more genuine and intimate.
If you’re trying to set up a meeting about an import issue, email is fine. If you’re trying to discuss that important issue, face to face is more productive.
If you have something to say that is basic information, email can work. If you have something to say that has a significant level of emotion attached to it or generated by it, email will probably only cause problems. Face to face allows greater chances for empathy.
If it’s more of a business interaction, go for email. If it’s more of a friendship interaction, opt for face to face.
If you want someone to really hear you well, if you really hope for them to respond in a certain way, choose your medium wisely. Sometimes it’s ok to treat someone like a machine; other times it’s important to treat them like a human being.
*In thinking about this, you can substitute “email” for any number of other electronic means of typed-out communication. For “face to face,” even phone calls or video conferencing can work. Technology isn’t the enemy–it’s our own insensitivity that needs to be checked.
