Email is for information, not communication
I’ve found myself using this phrase more and more in 2020, and yes, I’m always learning, I used to be “that guy” who sent really long emails with multiple points in them. I may still do, please tell me when I err in that way.
So, today is Christmas Eve. If you email me between now and January 4th, you’ll get this response:
One thing that the pandemic has reinforced for me is a love for asynchronous communication in our “always on” world.
So, whilst zooming and whatsapping (sometimes) during “business hours”, I love emails as I can consider them when I choose to (well, that’s how I now look at emails). In short, don’t email me if you want an urgent response.
Now, I’m also putting this autoresponder on for the holiday period to emphasise this. I may look at emails during the holidays, I may not.
If you truly need to reach me, you know how to do it without email.
May you have a restful and recharging holiday season.
By the way, synchronous though it can be, please don’t WhatsApp me to communicate, to have a conversation. To communicate let’s speak, whether a Zoom, a phone call, or perhaps (and I do more and more of this) arrange a time where we can both walk and talk on our phones while near our respective homes.
One caveat to that is a lovely way to use Whatsapp asynchronously AND communicate. “mi hermana” Rosie von Lila, is a true “DUMBO hipster urban sophisticate/sophisticat Gen Y New Yorker” (my description, she may kill me when she reads this!). With work schedules and five hour time differences, I would always want to communicate with a video or phone call, but she would mostly just sent whatsapp messages.
Then, one day I saw a message from her on WhatsApp and, what was this? A voice message? Yup, this was only about two years ago and I was new to the idea. I LOVE these now, to send and receive voice notes feels like being back in the late 80s when phone calls were so expensive that I’d send “aerogrammes” back and forth to friends and family overseas, waiting for the (slow) back and forth.
So, if you want to reach me urgently, send a whatsapp (I don’t have voicemail, I use caller ID.. I like asynchronous, remember?).
If you want to communicate, maybe whatsapp me a voice note or text asking to talk on the phone or set up a zoom.
I am conscious of my choices of synchronous and asynchronous communications and of how I do this. I’d love to get your thoughts and tips, I love to learn new perspectives and ways to communicate!