# Let's Talk By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-06-02 There are many ways one could communicate. Office communications often make use of emails. Increasingly, one might direct message or video chat. Somewhat antiquatedly, one might send a fax or have a phone call. These are all more or less efficient. One can send information back and forth. One can communicate. With all the efficiency of these methods, there is still something to be said about face-to-face conversations. These are perhaps the least efficient but are the most immediate and real. It is important to determine when these are beneficial. Not every meeting or exchange needs to be conducted in person. Some exchanges benefit from this approach. Perhaps its most important to hold a meeting face-to-face when one isn’t sure what one wants from the meeting. If the intent is specific, one can ask for it. If the purpose is muddled, one might benefit from simply getting a few people one respects and discussing the topic of interest. This is a better way to explore. As the architectural dictum goes, form follows function. The type of communication used should follow the intent. Managers perhaps do this instinctively. Often, there is little discernable intent behind the selected approach. Usually, people pick the approach that they prefer. Highly social individuals select in-person meetings. Introverts tend to respond via email. One should consider one’s preferences without being constrained when attempting to accomplish something. These approaches are not perfect substitutes for each other. Each offers something unique; each has limitations. As Marshall McLuhan said, “the medium is the message.” Select wisely, for it is bound to be consequential. #### Related Items [[Meetings]] [[Communication]] [[Discussions]] [[Writing]] [[Work]] [[Preferences]]