Imagine a world without phone calls. Only emails, texts, group chats and instant messages. Fingers endlessly tapping keys and thumbs bashing screens around the clock to keep in touch with colleagues, bosses, customers, contractors, the landlord, the doctor and the neighbour complaining about pet noises
A time-consuming and exhausting exercise in writing, sending and waiting for replies, one after the other.
Then, an invention. An ingenious device enabling people to speak to one another from a distance. Technology that enables people to share information with another individual immediately, to get a response straight away and to move on with the day.
Imagine the hype as a tech titan skips onto a floodlit stage to launch this very first … telephone.
While our tongue is stuck firmly in our cheek – all communication channels have their place – it won’t stop us at Three Plus from shaking it loose to advocate for a little more conversation.
David Ogilvy, father of advertising who made his name playing with words, once made a point about the limitations of written communication.
“If you want action, don’t write. Go and tell [them] what you want.”
Life – and especially leadership – is about getting things done through communication. And to be persuasive, you need to understand your audience in that moment.
Do you have their attention? Are they distracted by events outside work? Do they have competing priorities? Have they just misread, misinterpreted or simply ignored your message?
Get more traction in your organisation with a conversation in person or on the phone wherever possible.
Video meeting platforms are an indispensable tool to bridge great distances. The body language and tone of voice cues they provide are an upgrade on email threads and group chats, but they are not a like-for-like replacement for an in-person chat.
Magic happens when we meet eye-to-eye. We forge stronger connections and brainstorm better.
So, before you flash your yuck emoji, think about all the time and energy you could have saved by avoiding that mistaken message.
With apologies to The Animals and Lil Wayne: Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.
Three Plus is a full‑service communications consultancy focused on success for our clients. Our team of specialists covers all aspects of strategic communication and reputation management, creating value through influence and insight, building connections and shaping ideas.