Working Better- Rethinking the phone call.

Part of the issue with the modern workplace is that we’ve tended to add in new technology to existing processes, not rethink how we work around new tech and possibilities.

We host meetings when often a collaborative software platform would be better.

We now wake up to 124 notifications across Slack, Yammer, Whaller, Sharepoint, Box, and other systems, rather than 124 emails.

We now have to think we messaging app we need to use to get person x, not just navigate by person.

We’ve conference calls we need to enter 24 numbers to get into, that take 3 mins to join and are impossible to access from a phone unless you have a pen and paper.

We’re in the hybrid world of peak complexity, old fashioned culture, embellished by new technology and systems.

There is no more efficient tool for business than the phone call, but yet we use them far too little, because they suck.

I hate making phone calls.

I’m a confident guy, but I hate both making, but especially receiving calls. The sound of the phone ringing makes me stressed, I frequently don’t answer and when I have to ring back it stresses me out.

Why our phone calls so bad? …. it got me thinking…….there are many absolutely critical flaws.

1) You don’t know who it is.

So you have no idea if you should answer — an immediate dilemma.

2) There is a short window to answer the call.

You HAVE to stop whatever you are doing immediately, it’s interrupted whatever you are doing. There is nothing more rude than someone not next to you, taking priority over someone next to you, who’ve made the effort to be there.

3) You don’t know what it’s about.

This means in the best case scenario you are not ready to discuss the topic, and in all scenarios you are completely unable to prioritize. The most important phone calls you ever get — a baby is coming, appear identical to a Political Campaign Robo Call.

4) You’ve committed to it.

The moment you pick up the phone you are now forced to deal with something, despite having no idea of what it was. Everything so far has not been on your own terms and it continues that way.

5) An imbalance of information and situation.

The caller calls when it suits them, when they have time, when they know what the call is about, you immediately are off guard, this makes it a terrible way to conduct business.

6) Likelihood of a good call is small.

Terrible reception, no time to chat, loud noises in the background, you are expecting a more important call. The chance of a random call working is small. We now schedule conversations on the phone. This means what could likely be accomplished in a 60 second chat, now takes 3 emails to arrange and given the perceived importance, it makes a call lasting less than 5 mins seem rude and inefficient.

7) It takes time.

Especially in the UK the required hello’s and how are you’s and isn’t it rainy/cold/sunny/not sunny/not hot/nearly hot/was hot takes valuable time when you still don’t know what the call is for.

All the way through calls take longer as being brief on the phone is considered rude since the context of calls somehow means you are supposed to be building relationships not doing a transaction.

8) It’s real time.

This was never an issue before but we get used to having a chance to select words precisely, look over them, ensure we’re not saying too much. We’ve got so used to this that phone calls seem rather risky, you can’t take anything back or confirm before sending. And despite this pressure, you also can’t pause. Because silence is the biggest message of all!

9) Often you can’t access things you need.

Especially with cell phone use it’s often the case that you have no idea what they are referring to and have no way of recording what’s been said. This may not sound important but it’s a killer problem. A real estate agent called me about a property that I had no idea which one it was, they wanted to arrange a time but I can’t easily access my diary, so they gave me their number that I couldn’t write down to call them back on later.

10) You don’t know how long it’s going to take.

“Do you have a few minutes” is one of the least helpful opening lines. You have to commit, and to the unknown.

11) Works terribly with time zones.

It’s so frustrating that callers can’t see where you are, when you travel the world it’s inevitable that work calls will come when you don’t want them

So what is the solution?

This is not to say that emails or texts are the way forward, they do a wonderful job of covering over the problems above but they have killer flaws too.

They can take longer to write, they can be totally misunderstood, they can be forwarded on, it’s hard to get urgent replies, they do a terrible job of building relationships.

It seems what we need is a fifth communication method.

1) Phone calls — for long term discussions, for the need to discuss in real time, for complex issues, for the quick and mega urgent.

2) Texts /IM — For the very simple, very quick, very urgent, no explanation required.

3) Emails — For a lot of communication in business that required teams.

4) Forums and Collaboration software — A way for people to collaborate on work together.

But the fifth?

It’s been tried before and failed, but some sort of aural walkie talkie like messaging.

It would have the urgency and the ability to interrupt like a phone call.

It would be quick to create, seamless to send, and convey the richness of tone that communication needs.

Would be a great project to work on, what happens when you use technology, new behavior like IM, and you create a best of both.