Communication has changed through the years. Some methods have evolved; others have faded away. In descending order, the following are the most effective means of communication through the years.
1990
3. Handwritten letter or note
2. Telephone call
1. Communicate in person
2000
4. Email
3. Handwritten letter or note
2. Telephone call
1. Communicate in person
2010
5. Text
4. Email
3. Handwritten letter or note
2. Telephone call
1. Communicate in person
2020
5. Text
4. Email
3. Telephone call
2. Zoom
1. Communicate in person
As you probably know, handwritten notes or letters have gone the way of the dinosaur. They still trump texts or emails because they connect more emotionally. They represent time, effort, and unselfish giving.
Text is by far the worst form of communication. Nuance, tone of voice, and other factors can be miscommunicated. What can be gained in speed can be easily lost in translation.
Email is better than text because more information can be written in it. However, shades of meaning communicated by the human voice will likely be lost.
With a phone call, voice inflection and tone can finesse meaning. The human voice can reveal both a non-threatening message or an angry statement.
The pandemic unleashed zoom, a definite improvement over the phone call. With zoom, the human face can offer even more meaning hidden by the phone call. The caller can roll his eyes while on the phone, and the one receiving the call will never know. Not so with zoom.
The best method of communication by far is person-to-person in the flesh. By showing up personally, the entire body can share in the language and the transmission of the message. Research states that up to 90% of communication comes through body language.
Remember these thoughts the next time you wish to share a word.