Channel Choice

Managers today have a much wide range of choices than ever before when it comes to allocation channels. Aside from the understandable choice of whether to write or speak, for example, we must also believe new technologies that have radically distorted the way we write and speak.

Speaking is still the leading form of communication in business because it allows for two-way communication.  Even in a speech to a large group, the presenter can sense the audience's feedback by observing their nonverbal responses.  The choices for managers include speaking to groups, conducting meetings, attractive in conversations with one person at a time, making telephone calls, leave-taking voice mail messages, and investment videoconferences.

Writing in the past has been a one-way communication movement because of the significant time involved in the offing for a response.  Electronic mail and chat rooms have distorted that somewhat, but the nonverbal portion is still missing from the picture. The choices for managers include conventional memos, letters, and reports, as well as e-mail. Writing is preferable when the message must be formal or include a written mark.

E-mail has become the omnipresent communications channel. Although once scorned in favor of written documents when a record of the infrastructure was necessary, e-mail has become the communication channel of choice for many companies. The passageway of electronic signature laws and the development of secure transport technologies have led to the creation of effective legal documents and binding contract. These documents, however, are more complicated to contain than written documents, as copies may exist on a foreign server long after a company has deleted the e-mail.

E-mail may appear the best way to communicate because it is expedient and fast. E-mail can be overused, however. Accord- ing to Munter, you should use e-mail when you want to:

• accomplish many people concurrently, in multiple locations or time zones
• present your readers flexibility, since they can react at their expediency
• Save your readers' time, since reading is faster than listening
• communicate good or disinterested news, such as confirming, descriptive, updating, and announcing
• Write the corresponding of a handwritten note or postcard
• evidence the discussion and leave a discussion trace, since oral communiqué  leaves no record

• allocate documents, particularly for team editing faster and cheaper than overnight mailing

On the contrary, you should not use e-mail if you:

• Are angry or in fundamental disagreement. Wait awaiting you have time to cool off earlier than you send your reply. With e-mail, you may tend to answer rapidly in the heat of the moment, often before you have time to think through the repercussions of your answer. Avoid "flaming"-that is, responding to an e-mail in an inappropriately not reserved, irresponsible, or disparaging way.
• Need to communicate sensitive performance-related or negative information about the recipient.
• Need to cooperate, see, or hear your audience. E-mail lacks nonverbal contact, immediate "give and take," and is ineffective for argument or consensus construction.
• Need an immediate reply. Do not send a highly time- forced message by e-mail-unless, of course, your reader stays linked and alerted all day.
• Need privacy or privacy. Nothing on e-mail is completely secret or private. Your message might be printed, distributed, forwarded, or saved by the recipient; monitored (even if you delete it from your files) by systems operators or management; or subpoenaed for use in a lawful suit.

The key considered choice is often not between electronic, oral, and written communications.  Frequently the key considered choice is deciding whether to communicate at all. Thinking about this can put off you from communicating amazing you may shortly regret. This is predominantly true in e-mail and writing.