For two decades, I've struggled with written communication. Despite everything I've built and experienced in business, I have never once enjoyed sitting behind a computer typing up an email to pitch an idea or discuss an opportunity. Not once.
I believe spoken interaction — whether in person or by phone — conveys so much more: emotion, humor, nuance, enthusiasm. Text strips all of that away. And after reading about just how much time professionals waste on email, my frustration has only grown.
The Three Problems with Email
- Loss of nuance. Tone, humor, and emotional context disappear completely. A sentence that sounds warm in conversation can read as cold or passive-aggressive in an inbox.
- Time consumption. Complex ideas that take 30 seconds to say out loud require paragraphs to write — and still often get misunderstood.
- Miscommunication. Recipients interpret messages through their own emotional state at the time of reading, which you have zero control over.
What I Use Instead
I'm not saying abandon email entirely. But for anything that matters — pitching an idea, navigating a conflict, building a relationship — there are better tools:
The recipient hears your tone and enthusiasm on their own schedule. You get the expressiveness of a phone call without requiring both people to be available at the same time.
Adds facial expressions and body language to the equation. I use Loom regularly. When I need to walk someone through something complex, a 90-second video does what three paragraphs of email cannot.
Use email for what it's genuinely good at: documentation, logistics, sharing files. Use voice and video for everything that requires relationship or nuance.
Email revolutionized business communication. But it's not the right tool for every conversation. We have richer alternatives now — and the leaders who use them communicate more clearly, build better relationships, and waste far less time.