The West Wing
As we approach the end of the year, it is a time of reflection and looking forward at the same time and there is something I want to support encourage as well as communicate.
Last night I was watching my nightly episode of The West Wing, something I have done for years before bed. It gives me a calm sense and the cadence of the dialogue somehow lends itself to a soft calming sleep. Well, last night it occurred to me, that although this is a modern story, it is told through mid ought's characters, which, while they utilized, did not emphasize or focus so much of their day on email and non verbal communication.
In fact, it was precisely the verbal communication that allowed so much criticism, dialogue, debate and resulting decisions to be made so quickly! Imagine the show (or in that period) where decisions and communication were largely to be focused on email and texting! The episodes would still be the same 42 minutes in length, but the focus would span days and even weeks instead of one day in the West Wing.
It got me thinking that the most important conversations and decisions are all made through verbal communication, which is stark contract to today's mode of communication, non verbal - email focused. 91% of professionals use email daily - not surprising, but 60-86% of those same professionals PREFER email to verbal communication. I am learning, I am just not one of those people.
So for 2026 and beyond, I am focusing on VERBAL first communication, it is faster, more efficient and a much better relay of information than email. So be ready, I am going to call more, and I hope you call me more as well.