The question is my preferred method of communication? #postaday2011

This prompt is easy to write about because my response depends on who I'm attempting to communicate with, what we are attempting to communicate about, and the timeliness of the communication.

Additional thoughts about methods of communication:

• I get pretty cranky when folks use email to delay communication by failing to to answer the questions that were asked of them electronically or verbally. This is sort of an electronic "pass the buck." You might send out an email asking for a response or confirmation of a meeting and you receive back a question (often unrelated) and this leaves the receiver hanging. The technique appears like those using it are communicating, but if you dissect the emails you will see that nothing is being answered, confirmed, or responded to. When I receive this time "miscommunication" I tend to pick up the phone or take a walk to have a chat face-to-face.
• Text messages are great at certain times - when you need information but can't pick up a phone or have a conversation. The message, like an email, needs to answer the question completely and adequately. I use text messages with my two adult children a lot. I think they appreciate the brief communication without a huge time commitment. 
• Some topics must be communicated face-to-face and some people must be communicated with face-to-face.

So....the short version of the post....it depends.

• The subject line in an email is important - it tells me if I need to read it now or later.