When a 10-Minute Call Could Save a Three-Week Headache
I was stuck.
One final step in an international client’s portal, and I had no way to move forward.
My stakeholder told me to contact Daniel, the support guy. So, I did what most of us do — I wrote an email.
Then I waited.
A day and a half later, Daniel responded with an answer that didn’t answer anything. I sighed, added screenshots, arrows, explanations, and suggested a quick call. Days passed. He ignored the call request but sent another vague reply with a document I already had.
At that point, my patience ran out. My thoughts were… not very kind.
Was he ignoring me? Was I unclear? Did he just not care?
Since his email signature didn’t include a phone number (which, let’s be honest, felt like a personal attack at that moment), I sent another message, carefully worded to make a call sound like his idea.
He finally agreed to a video call. Ten minutes later, the issue was solved.
That problem had dragged on for three weeks.
Mind you, that’s three weeks of unnecessary delay, irritation, and misinterpretation — all because we were typing instead of talking.
The Hidden Cost of Written Communication
A 2023 Harris Poll found that U.S. companies lose over $12,500 per employee per year due to poor communication. I’m sure Daniel and I had just contributed heavily to that statistic.
That’s not just meetings and messages — it’s energy drain.
It’s frustration. It’s time spent second-guessing the tone instead of solving problems.
And it’s not getting better. We’re spending more than half of our week communicating through written channels — email, chats, and document comments — while talking to each other less and less.
We text to schedule calls instead of just calling.
These days we don’t just type and delete; we prompt, re-prompt, and tweak the AI’s version, and somehow still question if it “sounds right.
We treat phone calls like invasions instead of collaboration.
And you know what the irony is? We’ve never had more tools to communicate instantly, yet we’ve never been more disconnected.
Untangling Tips: When to Type and When to Talk
Before you hit “send,” try filling your communication tank with G.A.S:
Goal, Audience, and Situation.
Goal: What are you trying to accomplish?
If you need clarity, written communication works — but follow up verbally if it drags or causes confusion.
If you need rapport, nothing replaces a real conversation. A voice (or a shared laugh) builds trust faster than any emoji ever will.
If it’s a simple update, fine — keep it short and written. Not everything needs a meeting.
Audience: Who are you talking to?
For new stakeholders, go visible first. A short intro call builds connection before you bury each other in email threads.
For close colleagues, know their habits — sometimes a ping or quick call works better than a long chain.
For larger groups, mix modes: present verbally, confirm in writing. Clarity + documentation.
Situation: What’s happening around this message?
If it’s sensitive, talk it out — tone matters more than wording.
If it’s urgent, pick up the phone.
If it’s time-sensitive but not critical, use a hybrid: a quick call, followed by a summary email.
We lose hours, and sometimes even weeks, running in circles that one real-time conversation could have straightened out.
Technology should simplify our communication, not replace it.
Before you write your next email, ask yourself:
Would this be faster, clearer, or kinder if I just picked up the phone?
Each month, I share a real story, a reflection, and a few practical ideas from the field — and from my book Untangling Communication: How Leaders Can Strengthen Communication, Resolve Conflict, and Build High-Performing Teams — to help you make your conversations clearer and your leadership stronger.
👉If this edition resonated with you, feel free to subscribe and keep learning how to untangle the everyday knots of leadership and teamwork.
