Really? A text? I'm fed up with texting as business communication!
It used to be that "text" meant something like this, according to my Oxford Dictionary -
Text - noun - the main body of a work or other piece of writing, as distinct from other material such as notes, appendices, and illustrations. From the Latin noun textus - meaning 'literary style' and the Latin verb texere, meaning 'woven.'
In a galaxy long, long ago, and far, far, away, when I was in MBA school (where we went to a classroom, in a school building, and had live professors, not computer screens, who spoke with us, not to us) my Administrative Theory prof must have said this 100 times about business communication.
Business communication requires four steps. If ANY ONE of the steps is missing, there has not been communication.
Those steps are:
Output, input, function, feedback.
1. Output - I send you a message. I speak with you, mail you a letter, call you on the phone, or, if I feel really bold, email you. How do I know you got my message?
What if, "Watson! I need you!", was not heard on the other end?
2. Input - you get my message. You hear and answer the phone, receive my letter, or see my email.
3. Function - this step is crucial. You understand to do something with my message. You hear me or see my attempt to reach you and respond. THE BOTTOM LINE IS - YOU GET AND DO SOMETHING WITH MY MESSAGE!
4. Feedback - you get back to me! You speak with me about what I said. You say something back. You write me back. You email me back. YOU GET BACK TO ME! This is called business communication.
Now, if any of those four steps is missing, there has not been any communication. ZERO.
COMMUNICATION IS A TWO-WAY STREET! IT STILL IS, EVEN IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT A COMPUTER SCREEN OR THAT IMPERSONAL THING IN YOUR HAND.
Two cases in point.
Case one -- A couple of weeks ago we hand delivered, imagine, hand delivered, Christmas cards to our friends in the neighborhood. One across the street said she was very angry with us. She invited us to her daughter's college graduation party at their house, dinner and all, and we did not show up. We said we saw the cars and wondered what was going on. She asked why we didn't come. Simple - we hadn't heard about it. Then the kicker - "BUT I TEXTED YOU!!" And the second kicker. "What number did you text?" In a huff she looked it up. It was our home phone number. Our home phone, an old-fashioned land line, does not receive texts. We did not get the message. And she is upset with us?
ONLY STEP ONE WAS ACCOMPLISHED!
AND WE ARE ACROSS THE STREET!
Get real people!
Case two --I got an angry call from a realtor. Her important client really wanted me to do a home inspection. He was in a hurry, so he texted me all the information. He set up a time and everything. Never mind that I did not get back to him to confirm. I did not see the text. They are both angry because I did not show up! I asked what number he texted. She did not know. He is so angry with me he would not speak with me. What do you bet he texted my land line? Now this realtor has passed my name around the office as a dope not to deal with. I don't show up to appointments. Why did she call me to complain and not text me? Hmmmmm?
ONLY STEP ONE WAS ACCOMPLISHED!
I AM A PHONE CALL AWAY!
Get real people!
Business communication requires FOUR steps! If any one of the four steps is not met there has not been communication!
And to think texting is business communication of any sort is silliness! It takes 15 times as long as a phone call! And don't tell me I am a crusty, behind-the-times, curmudgeon. Texting is silliness even if I get back to you. I'm in business. I'm not cold, impersonal, or anti-social. I'm not a time waster.
My recommendation: call me.
P.s. A couple of weeks ago a kid ran into my car while riding his bike. I was quite stopped at a stop sign. He was looking at his phone, not where he was going. He was mad at me for blocking the intersection. We are screwed. Fifteen minutes later a lady ran right into me with her shopping cart at the grocery store. I was not moving. She was looking at her phone, not where she was going. She was mad at me for blocking the aisle. Never mind that I was on the side, beside the shelves. We are screwed.
Get real people!
I think I have whiplash.
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