Do you know when to send an email, a chat message, call, or organize a meeting?
Updated by Tiago Araújo [SSW] 10 months ago. See history
When deciding whether to send a chat message, call, or organize a meeting in Microsoft Teams, or send an email, there are a few factors to consider:
- Urgency and importance - If the matter is urgent or time-sensitive, it may be best to initiate a call, allowing faster response times than email. If you can’t get hold of them, send a chat message with the prefix “❌ Blocked” to ensure the other person knows that you can’t proceed without them. On the other hand, if the matter is not urgent, sending an email may be sufficient
- Complexity - If the issue or topic is complex and requires a more in-depth discussion or collaboration, it may be better to call or organize a meeting in Teams rather than relying on chat or email
- Number of people involved - If there are multiple people involved, it may be better to organize a meeting, especially if a group discussion or decision-making process is necessary. Chat and email can be suitable for one-on-one discussions or when the number of people involved is small
- Availability and accessibility - If you need to communicate with someone who is not currently available in Teams, you may need to send an email instead
- Task - If there is a task that you need to be able to track and follow up, always send an email, since the transient nature of chats and calls make tasks easily forgotten
Hi Dave,
I tried to call you regarding the Northwind Traders Ltd project but you were unavailable - will try again soon.
❌ Figure: Bad example - No sign of urgency in the message
Hi Dave,
❌ Blocked - I need your approval to keep working on the Northwind Traders Ltd project.
- Please call me ASAP
✅ Figure: Good example – The "❌ Blocked" makes it clear that this is urgent
This is similar to saying "❌ Blocked" in a Daily Scrum.
In general, IM is designed for real-time collaboration and communication, while email is better suited for asynchronous communication. Therefore, if you need to discuss something quickly or want to work collaboratively on a project, using Teams is more suitable. If you need to send a formal or official message, or want to provide detailed information that can be referenced later, an email may be more appropriate.