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“The lost art of communication”

  • Published
  • By Maj. Chris Juarez
  • 375th Contracting Squadron Commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  When I was a lieutenant, if I needed to speak to somebody in my squadron, I would walk down the hall and talk to them. The squadron commander did the same thing. Fast forward 15 years and all that has changed thanks to the technological revolution. Text messaging and e-mails have replaced office visits and conversations by the water cooler. While a lot of good can be attributed to the electronic age, it is important that we do not forget the lost art of face-to-face communication.

E-mail has made communication quicker that's for sure. Now with the simple click of the mouse, an e-mail can be sent to one person, a select few or the entire wing. This also makes it easier to make sure information is disseminated to all Airmen and civilians in a unit. If you have to ask five people the same question, instead of making five phone calls, all you have to do is send one e-mail. Finally, thanks to the BlackBerry, e-mail allows you to stay in touch when on leave or TDY. But, before you say this is a bad thing, how many of you bring your BlackBerry with you when you are on leave or TDY and use it on a regular basis?

As great as e-mail is, it is not the end all-be all to communication. How many times have you read an e-mail and responded with an answer, only to get another e-mail stating you misinterpreted the e-mail? You then spend the next 30-45 minutes sending out and reading another two or three e-mails to clarify the issue. Or how many of you have read into the emotion of an e-mail (i.e., you thought the author of the e-mail was upset with you) and fired off a blistering response only to find out that was not the case at all? Most importantly, e-mail is not and never will be personal. For those of you in leadership positions, you will never truly know the health and welfare of your subordinates unless you make an effort to get out from behind your computer and talk to them.

Regardless of how many meetings you have or how many unopened e-mails you have yet to read, make it a point to get out of your office at least once a day. This is commonly called "leadership by walking around" and is the best way to find out how your Airmen and civilians are doing in their personal and professional lives. I have also learned that even when something is briefed to me via e-mail, I can always gather additional information when I go and talk to the author. As a current squadron commander, I often consider this the best part of the day. If I am having a rough day, all I need to do is walk into one of my flights and start talking to one of my young Airmen. Hearing about their weekend, upcoming TDYs or what contracts they are working on puts a smile on my face and gives me the energy I need to continue on with the rest of my day.

Thanks to e-mail, it is easier to communicate with people. With the BlackBerry, laptops and PCs so common, everyone has access to e-mail and communication is just as easy as hitting the "Send" button. But e-mail will never replace the importance of face-to-face communication. So, if you are one of those that lead by e-mail, get back in touch with the lost art of face-to-face communication. Trust me, it will make your day much more enjoyable.