The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
It is a well known fact that when two people are communicating, a lot more is being communicated than just the words.
- Words: There are the words being said, but there are also shades of meaning and emotional baggage that those words carry. Two different sentences with identical meanings can yield very different reactions.
- Tone: The inflection that a word is spoken with can help to indicate which if any of the baggage that words carry apply to the intended meaning. It can also help to resolve any ambiguity in meaning.
- Gestures: These can communicate concepts not captured in the words, such as size, distance, direction, speed, tempo, and other modifiers.
- Pictures: Drawings on a white board can communicate relationships, implications, all kinds of information with a quick and simple scribble.
- Body Language: The emotional state of the participants is communicated through body language.
- Vibe: Vibe is the emotional effect that the sum of the parts has on the participants. It is influenced by word choice, tone, and body language, but there are also less generally recognized factors involved, such as pheromones. Who knows how many other things that are not scientifically recognized may also be involved.
The point is, the more of these information channels are present in a communication between individuals, the less is lost in translation from person to person. As soon as you introduce technology to take the place of being in the same room, something is lost.
Email has to be the worst. Words, still possessing all of their emotional baggage, are devoid of the cues that help us resolve the emotional ambiguity that they contain. Emoticons help, but only a little, and rob it of professionalism. Email is great for sending information to a person without requiring them to be interrupted. It is great for keeping a record of what was decided. But the best use of email is to communicate the need for face-to-face conversation.
Documents are a step up, since they can include pictures. But they tend to lack interactivity. Chat is only a small step up from email. Phone calls are good, but conference calls are murder. Conference calls with a shared screen are better, but its so easy to tune out. Telephone call quality has an impact on people’s willingness to listen that should not be ignored.
Bottom line: Don’t fool yourself. Technology is no substitute for getting people in a room together with a white board. If it is important that everybody be on the same page, get them all in the same room.
