Let the Medium Match the Message
You would not send
out wedding invitations via e-mail, post a love letter on the organization web
site, or let your boss know that you think you deserve a raise by sticking a
notice about it on the office bulletin board.
Every
organization has a wide variety of communication channels. Different media
are suited for different types of messages. You also communicate
to people at different levels in different ways.
Your
organizational culture and climate will tell you what is appropriate for you
and the messages—and people—you communicate with.
Microsoft’s Bill
Gates, one of the world’s richest and most powerful men, regularly
communicates directly with employees via e-mail. Other CEOs are more
comfortable putting their words on paper—or having a secretary do it for
them.
Two of the most important points to consider when preparing to
communicate with someone are privacy and security. Many organizations
routinely monitor employee e-mail as well as Internet usage. For that
matter, many phone calls are monitored and taped. Countless important
e-mails have been accidentally deleted. And the more “private” the e-mail,
the more likely it seems to wind up becoming embarrassingly public.
What paper messages lack in immediacy they can more than make up for in
privacy and permanency.
No one medium is perfect for all communication, just as
no one car will satisfy everyone’s driving needs. But, it is important to
know what options are available, and to be aware of how other people in the
organization use them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~