Breaking Barriers is a nationally recognized program that provides housing, tenancy support, and employment services for justice-impacted adults who are experiencing homelessness.
Barriers can be broken by understanding different perspectives. It includes understanding the differences between generations in their communication preferences and finding ways to minimize misunderstandings.
It’s Faster
Even if you don’t have time to sit down and talk in person, you can still communicate with someone quickly by phone. When you need an immediate response, talking on the phone is much faster than exchanging emails or instant messages back and forth.
In a phone conversation, you can also use silence to your advantage. It gives the other person time to consider what you’ve said and how they feel about it. It’s harder to misinterpret a tone or a pause than it is with written communication.
Humor is also a great way to break down barriers. It’s a universal language that everyone can enjoy. And it’s a great way to keep a conversation light and fun, especially with people from different generations.
It’s More Personal
When you talk on the phone, you can hear your recipient’s voice and pick up on many non-verbal cues that are difficult to decipher when texting. It allows you to convey emotion and ensure your message is delivered correctly. For example, if you give constructive feedback, sending a tone that sounds critical or uncaring through a text message is easy, but a voice call can make sure the person knows you mean them well.
In one study, researchers had participants predict what it would be like to reconnect with an old friend via phone versus email. Though they expected a phone call to be more awkward, they found that people felt significantly closer to the other person and had no problem bonding over a conversation on the phone.
It’s More Effective
A phone call is often more effective than an email or instant message. For example, many auxiliary information is being sent back and forth in an email thread. In that case, clarifying everything at once with a quick phone conversation might be much easier.
Furthermore, in a telephone conversation, non-verbal cues can be picked up based on the tone of the person’s voice and other characteristics. It isn’t as easy when communicating through messaging apps or emails, where body language and other visual cues can be misinterpreted. It can result in perplexity and misinterpretations, which can be challenging to resolve. This is particularly true in business communication situations where a high volume of information is transmitted simultaneously to multiple people.
It’s More Concise
Many of us spend considerable time communicating electronically throughout our workday, whether through emails or other means. Many of us spend considerable time communicating electronically throughout our workday, whether through emails or other means. However, we often find ourselves lamenting the loss of productivity that such communication can result in. However, we often find ourselves lamenting the loss of productivity that such communication can result in.
Nonverbal cues can be complex to interpret in written communication or when the sender cannot receive them face-to-face. During a phone conversation, however, listeners can pay attention to pauses and tone of voice, indicating that someone is struggling or needs clarification.
Young people may be uncomfortable on the phone when speaking to older colleagues who use ellipses in their written communications (which can seem rude or curt). This is a common cause of generational communication gaps, and it’s easy to avoid by focusing on brevity when talking on the phone.
It’s More Efficient
Many people feel that the telephone is a time-sucking tool, but the truth is that it can be efficient when used correctly. It can be even more efficient than sending a text or instant message because of the speed at which one can communicate.
Phone calls require you to focus and listen, which helps you improve your listening skills. It also allows you to hear nonverbal cues, such as pauses and tone of voice, which can provide valuable information about someone’s emotional state.
In addition, talking on the phone is the best way to communicate important information that could be sensitive or compromising to employees. This information would be complex to convey through text, instant message, or email.
