Just pick up the phone!

Technology has made it easy to communicate in myriad ways without actually having to face or talk to another person IRL. In the time it used to take to have a real conversation, with all the niceties, etc., you can get the message across in just minutes.

But we cannot lose sight of the power of a real conversation, on the phone or in person.

I have one golden rule: when it takes me more than several minutes to compose an email or when my email is getting long and convoluted ==> I pick up the phone. I can then follow up the conversation with a recap email to make sure we are on the same page moving forward.

If you need an answer quickly, just pick up the phone. 

If you just want to see how someone is doing, call them or Zoom them.

And definitely, if you have to deliver tough feedback or have a critical convo, you must use a high fidelity communication method.