Rich and Poor Communication | Better Texts and Emails with Dr. Rob

Main message: Choose the right communication medium: use "rich" channels (phone, video, face-to-face) for important, ambiguous, or urgent matters and "lean" channels (email, text) for straightforward information; when using lean channels, put the request up front and schedule a richer follow-up to avoid misunderstandings.

Key points:

• Rich vs. lean communication: face-to-face and video convey tone and nuance; email/text/spreadsheets are limited.
• Three criteria to pick a medium: importance, clarity (ambiguity), and time/urgency.
• If something is important, unclear, or urgent, prefer phone, video, or in-person conversation.
• Practical routine: send the main points, schedule a follow-up call, then ask "What did you understand? Are we agreed?" to confirm alignment.
• Email tip: put the request or action needed in the subject line or first sentence to get a response and avoid being overlooked.

Scriptures mentioned: none