The days when people used their cellphones to call their friends and co-workers are quickly fading. These days, a quick text or email is regarded as a replacement for good ol’ fashioned conversations. For busy Division Heads, email may seem like it was invented specifically for your hectic lives, enabling the quick dissemination of information and instructions to the whole school. But email isn’t always the right communication tool to use, and it certainly shouldn’t be your only contact method. We have three instances when you should avoid using e-mail and go for the phone instead.
1. When you risk being misunderstood
For messages requiring a delicate touch or discussing sensitive matters, try an in-person meeting rather than an email. Email lacks social cues like tone of voice and facial expression; inspires instantaneous responses leading to careless, easily-avoided mistakes; and can result in a lack of “personal rapport,” making relationships more easily broken when conflict arises. These qualities make email a poor substitute for verbal communication.
This risk of misunderstanding can extend to the establishment and maintenance of new relationships, particularly in bulk emails. If you must send a mass email, try following up with a phone call or quick addendum that personally addresses the recipient in some way.
This lack of personal attention, by the way, does not necessarily extend to newsletters and similar mailings. These documents are naturally impersonal, as they are written to a whole audience rather than a particular individual.
2. When you need a quick response
Getting responses to an emailed query or text message can be like pulling teeth—slow and painful for everyone involved. A New York Times article says that requesting people to do something or take an extra step via email can begin a procrastination spiral and result in delayed (or completely absent) replies. Asking for an RSVP when the person can’t attend, simple human error, and the ubiquitous spam folder can all contribute to low response rates, too. Picking up the phone and talking to your colleague or parent may produce a faster answer—and subsequent action.
3. When you’re discussing personal rather than professional issues
Sure, you may check your school email account more often than your personal one during the day, but do you really want your family's business stored in your school’s server? You’re creating a paper trail every time you send an email—remember the Internet maxim “Online is Forever”.
You wouldn’t use a hammer to pound in a screw, and a screwdriver makes a poor hammer for a nail. Likewise, email is an important communication tool, but it’s not appropriate for every case or circumstance. Some families may prefer speaking over the phone or in person to reading an email, and others will want email rather than the inconvenience of an immediate conversation. Get to know your school community’s preferences, and remember: There’s a time and place for every method of communication.
Additional ISM resources:
Private School News Vol. 10 No. 6 Keeping Communications Open and Flowing in Your School
ISM Monthly Update for Risk Managers Vol. 4 No. 6 Communicating Emergencies
ISM Monthly Update for Trustees Vol. 10 No. 1 Email Wrangling
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 27 No. 4 Cyber News: The Transition to Paperless Parent Communication
I&P Vol. 35 No. 3 The Growing Importance of Technology in Parent Communications
I&P Vol. 36 No. 5 Conducting a Communications Audit
