“There’s a real danger to the maintenance and perpetuation of meaningful communications and personal and professional relationships,” said Hanke. “If you become overly dependent on e-mail or text messages, you focus on the object, but not the person.”
She said face-to-face communication is a necessity and most beneficial to achieve clarity, especially when:
• Negotiating salaries and vacations;
• Settling disputes and conflicts in the office; and
• Seeking clarification after written communications have failed. —Gazette staff
This article appears in Mar 9-15, 2011.