Consequences of hiding behind emails

Last week, I was speaking to a Spanish lawyer at an event who admitted something shocking to me: "I avoid phone calls with my clients because I don't think I speak English properly. I feel I sound bad when I speak, so I just ask my colleague to do it... or I send an email instead." On the surface, it sounds like a workaround. In reality, it's a red flag. 📉 Projects slowed because decisions had to wait. 💸 Colleagues wasted their time covering for him. ⏳ Clients lost his trust because they noticed he was never on a call. This lawyer isn't bad at his job. In fact, he's excellent, incredibly knowledgeable, and articulates himself beautifully in Spanish. But his expertise and professionalism stayed hidden because he avoided speaking English. And this happens across global teams every day: ➡️ They push for emails instead of quick calls, so projects drag, and clients lose patience with your company’s inefficiency. ➡️ Communication slows down, costing clients extra time, money, and frustration. ➡️ Clients walk away feeling undervalued, doubting whether your team can truly deliver. Language barriers don't just affect communication. They affect your team's credibility, efficiency, and company revenue. ⭐ How many of your team members are hiding behind emails? And how much is their hiding REALLY costing your business?

“Stop emailing me and then asking if I saw your email. Yes... I saw it or I will see it...” That’s what my SEAL Team CO told me in Afghanistan after I popped into his office (again) to follow up on an email I’d just sent. He wasn’t being rude. He was teaching me something I’ve never forgotten. “If it’s important enough for you to come talk to me about it,” he said, “then just come talk to me first. THEN... back it up with an email, not the other way around.” That moment taught me three big lessons about communication: - Urgency and email don’t mix. If it’s critical, have the conversation directly via phone, Zoom, or in-person. Don’t hide behind your keyboard. - Adapt to the audience. Some people prefer email. Others respond better to a quick call or face-to-face conversation. Know what works best for them, not just what’s easiest for you. - Use email as a follow-up tool, not a crutch. If you have an important discussion, follow it with an email for clarity and documentation. But don’t let email replace real-time communication. - Communication isn’t just about getting the message out, it’s about making sure it lands. I’m grateful that CO (now an admiral) called me out. That one interaction shaped how I communicate as a leader to this day. ---- Follow me (Jon Macaskill) for leadership insights, wellness tools, and real stories about humans being good humans. And yeah… feel free to repost if someone in your life needs to hear this. 📩 Subscribe to my newsletter here → https://lnkd.in/g9ZFxDJG You’ll get FREE access to my 21-Day Mindfulness & Meditation Course—packed with real, actionable strategies to lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose.

Email is where good ideas go to die. Stop hiding behind your inbox. Too many people treat email like their main communication tool. But here’s the truth: - Leaders aren’t reading long threads. They’re skimming or ignoring them. - You’re spending too much time writing and rewriting. Clarity shouldn’t take 10 drafts. - Your message is getting misinterpreted. Tone and nuance don’t translate well. Email is great for documenting decisions. It’s terrible for making them. If you want to actually move things forward: 1️⃣ Pick up the phone. A two-minute call can save hours of back-and-forth. 2️⃣ Set up a meeting. But only when there’s a real decision to be made. 3️⃣ Talk in person. If it’s important, nothing beats face-to-face. And if you’re worried that stepping out of the email loop will make your contributions invisible? Track your work. Keep a simple running list of the value you add. Then, when it’s time for a raise or promotion, bring that list to your boss. That’s what gets you ahead. Not another reply in an endless thread. —---------------------------------------------- This is good advice to succeed in any company culture. The holy grail though, is when everyone tracks their work in a shared system. That’s when we all stop interrupting each other and conversations focus on solving problems rather than transferring information. We’re getting ready to publicly launch ScaleKits after rapidly transforming close to 50 companies. Stay tuned!

Are you still misusing email (after all of these years!). In about 25% of the interpersonal clashes at the senior level that I mediate the poor use of email plays a role. Tying message to medium is a key skill oft' neglected by leaders. From the perfunctory - "why did he send an email when I am across the hall from him?" - to the fundamental "he sent me a rude message at 1 am and copied his Boss and my Boss!" email is continuously misused. Email is a cold, business-as-usual tool. Used for introductions, knowledge transfer, or to create paper trails for instant retrieval it's fine. But, that's it. Email is like football without fans; it's a foreign movie without subtitles, Les Miserables with no music! Leaders hide behind email but we can see you! It is not a tool for communicating in emotive & high stake issues where the scope for misunderstanding or interpersonal clash is high. In our VUCAD (yes, the D is for diversity) world, especially in MENA, where people are often operating in their second language, email can easily lead to misunderstanding. Use email judiciously, play to its strengths as a medium, and be careful with the CC & BCC which is fuel to many fires. This post seem obvious?.....I wish! Use the attached slide as a guide to effective leadership communications. #leadershipcoaching #leadershipcommunications #freeadvice