208 Project Management
matically provides a permanent record for the sender and receiv-
er (which may be good orbad). Also, as with any written mes-
sage, e-mail messages are subject to misinterpretation.
And the ease with which e-mail notes may be forwarded to
other parties forces you to be careful about what you put in the
message and how you word it. All in all, e-mail is a convenient
and effective method of communicating, if used properly.
Telephone. Calling someone on the phone can be an immediate
(if they answer!), interactive method of communicating without
creating a permanent, written record. Phone conversations allow
you to hear voice inflections, although obviously you cannot
view body language or other nonverbal communication.
Although an upbeat phone call is considered “warmer” than a
written note, it doesn’t have the same effect as a personal visit
or any other face-to-face interaction. (The same holds true for
unpleasant interactions.) Unanticipated phone calls are subject
to the same shortcomings or advantages of impromptu com-
munications.
Voice Mail. When people don’t answer their phone, you can often
rely on voice mail. This may create issues for you, if you’re not
careful. When you place a
call, you’re often expecting
a dialogue. If you’re forced
to use voice mail, you must
immediately convert your
message to a monologue,
which doesn’t always come
out sounding as you’d like
it: the message can
become awkward or con-
fusing for the recipient.
And, as with e-mail, there’s
no guarantee that the mes-
sage will be received in a
timely manner.
Prepare for Your
Recording Session
If you’re anything like me,
you’ve left some strange and curious
voice messages for people.Why?
Because you fully expect to reach the
person you’re calling—and are sur-
prised to get voice mail.The result can
sometimes be a confusing “dialogue”
with someone who isn’t there.This can
lead to misunderstandings.Whenever
you phone someone, think about what
you intend to say and how you can say
it in case you get voice mail.