NOTHING MAKES CONVERSATIONS MORE ALIVE THAN DOING THEM FACE TO FACE

As Apple CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal, “For all of the beauty of technology and all the things we’ve helped facilitate over the years, nothing yet replaces human interaction."

Have you ever tried to extend compassion, empathy or affection to a loved one through an email? Did you feel limited? I thought so. Like let’s say you want to say thank you to someone for a job well done, there are so many ways to say thank you, a card, an email, or even a post-it note on someone’s desk. But even better is saying it in person. Imagine the difference it made for Eliud Kipchoge face to face contact with his wife after the 1:59:40 marathon success in comparison to her being absent but sending an email or text saying thank you and congratulations. How much do you think could have been lost in that conversation full of non verbal cues? Saying thank you is one thing, making people feel valued, appreciated and respected requires more than just a line or two in an electronic garget.

As good as virtual communication is, it lacks the ability to portray the full picture of what others are endeavouring to convey to us. It tends to have lower energy than the face to face equivalent, people are less engaged and the overall value of the message significantly diminishes. Nothing makes one feel more connected to a cause more than face to face kind of communication. Facial expression and other physical actions both dominate and determine the impact and the direction of the message.

Communicating face-to-face sends a message before you say a word. People will not only hear what you are saying, they will perceive the greater meaning of your tone, voice inflection, emotion and body language. Taking the time to meet and chat with people is an important way to emphasise key messages; being there in person tells your audience they are important to you and the issue you are discussing is worth both your time and theirs and that because of your trust in them, you are counting on them.

Initiating and fostering those moments of one-on-one connections are priceless. Nothing beats presence, not even an M-pesa. Maybe it is true that a new technology is not always a better technology, or is it? While in doubt, try face to face conversations.