There are many times in daily office life where you'll have to communicate with your coworkers, superiors or staff. Knowing when to discuss something instead of talking via email can be a very important skill to learn.

The first guideline is to asses how complicated the topic is. If a topic is simply something which can be resolved by one answer, like a clarification of a certain specific detail in a project, then an email is a clear way to do this.

If the topic is complicated, there may be two ways to go. If it is something that you are having trouble understanding, and need someone to explain, perhaps meeting in person is better for you. You may have follow up questions which the other person may find tedious or annoying via email but would be perfectly normal in a conversation.

Sometimes, a topic or an issue is complicated, but clear documentation is need so that the issue will not be confused again later. It is better to rely on what is written than to rely on memory of a conversation. In this case, judge whether you'll need to pull up the information again in a few weeks or not. If you will need it later, or think you need to have it written down for any kind of proof or reference, go with email.

When writing an email, it is good practice to keep the email about one subject. An email that discusses four seperate issues will not be answered fully or clearly. Keep one "topic" per email and it will save confusion.

Also, another guideline to keep in mind is that if an email goes back and forth (by people replying) for more than 5 threads, its time to go talk. Even if the matter is simple, it is pointless to hash out details in a really heavily replied back and forth email. Most email programs indent previous threads, and the original email text may only end up an inch or so wide, which is basically useless.

What you're trying to avoid ultimately is excess confusion - so think about what you can do to get the most straightforward response, and go for that. That is how you choose between email and conversations at the workplace.

Learn more about this author, Carla Jean.
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