Adapting Message to Medium
Choose the right channel. Master written, spoken, visual communication. Know when to use each.
Introduction
The medium shapes the message as powerfully as the words themselves. Marshall McLuhan's famous dictum "the medium is the message" recognizes that how you communicate affects what gets communicated. The same information delivered via email, phone call, video conference, or face-to-face creates fundamentally different experiences and outcomes.
Choosing the wrong medium undermines even perfectly crafted content. Delivering bad news via text, conducting complex negotiations through email, or sending a quick question through formal memo all create friction between message and medium. Skilled communicators match medium to message based on complexity, urgency, emotional content, need for dialogue, and audience preferences.
Each medium has inherent strengths and limitations. Email provides written record but lacks tone. Phone calls enable real-time dialogue but miss visual cues. Video conferences offer face-to-face interaction but add technical barriers. In-person meetings maximize richness but require scheduling and travel. Understanding these trade-offs allows you to select the optimal channel for each communication need.
What You'll Learn
- How to match medium to message based on complexity and context
- Strengths and limitations of written, spoken, and visual channels
- When to escalate from text to call to in-person
- Email best practices vs real-time communication strategies
- Adapting your approach for synchronous vs asynchronous media
Medium Selection Criteria
Choose your communication channel based on:
- Urgency: Time-sensitive → call or real-time chat; non-urgent → email
- Complexity: Complex topics → richer media (video/in-person); simple → lean media (text)
- Emotional Content: Sensitive topics → face-to-face; neutral → any medium
- Need for Dialogue: Negotiation/brainstorming → synchronous; information delivery → asynchronous
- Documentation Needs: Require record → written; no record needed → spoken
- Audience Location: Distributed → remote tools; co-located → in-person preferred
Written Communication
Written communication offers permanence, precision, and reach. You can craft exactly the right words, edit before sending, create a permanent record, and reach distributed audiences simultaneously. Email, documents, reports, and messages allow careful thought that real-time conversation doesn't permit. Written words persist, creating accountability and reference that spoken words lack.
However, written communication strips away tone, body language, and immediacy. Sarcasm becomes insult, brevity seems curt, and misunderstandings multiply without real-time clarification. The writer's intended tone often differs wildly from the reader's perceived tone. What you meant as efficient reads as abrupt. What you intended as friendly reads as unprofessional. Written communication demands extra care to convey tone accurately.
Different written media suit different purposes. Email works for documented, non-urgent communication with clear action items. Instant messages handle quick questions and coordination. Documents provide structure for complex information. Reports offer formal analysis with supporting data. Memos communicate policy and decisions. Each format has conventions that signal professionalism and clarity when followed.
Email Best Practices
- Subject lines matter: Be specific and action-oriented
- Front-load important information: Put key points first
- Use white space: Break into short paragraphs, use bullets
- Be explicit about tone: Add warmth that voice would convey
- Clear call-to-action: What do you need, by when?
- Proofread: Typos undermine credibility in written form
When to Escalate from Written to Spoken
Switch from email/text to call/meeting when:
- Email thread exceeds 3-4 back-and-forth exchanges
- Misunderstanding or conflict emerges
- Topic becomes emotionally charged
- Complex negotiation or brainstorming needed
- Urgency increases
- Building relationship matters more than efficiency
Spoken Communication
Spoken communication adds layers written words can't capture: tone, pace, inflection, emotion, and real-time responsiveness. A simple "yes" can convey enthusiasm, reluctance, sarcasm, or uncertainty depending on how it's said. Voice communication allows immediate clarification, builds rapport through warmth and personality, and enables dynamic dialogue that written exchanges can't match.
Phone calls offer voice without visuals—efficient for straightforward discussions but missing body language and facial expressions that convey sincerity, confusion, or agreement. Video calls add visual dimension, approaching face-to-face richness while enabling remote connection. In-person meetings maximize communication bandwidth with full sensory input: body language, spatial dynamics, energy levels, and informal side conversations that build relationships.
The synchronous nature of spoken communication creates both opportunity and challenge. Real-time dialogue enables quick resolution and creative brainstorming but demands immediate responses without time for considered thought. You can't edit spoken words after they leave your mouth. This immediacy requires different skills than written communication: active listening, reading conversational cues, managing verbal flow, and adapting in real-time to audience reactions.
Video Call Best Practices
- Camera positioning: Eye level, good lighting, professional background
- Engagement: Look at camera when speaking, minimize multitasking
- Audio quality: Use headphones to prevent echo, mute when not speaking
- Participation: Use chat for questions, reactions for feedback, hand-raise feature
- Screen sharing: Close unnecessary windows, prepare materials in advance
- Time management: Start and end on time, schedule breaks for long meetings
When to Choose In-Person
Despite remote technology, some situations demand face-to-face:
- Sensitive conversations: performance reviews, difficult feedback, terminations
- Relationship building: first meetings, team building, trust development
- Complex negotiations: high-stakes deals, conflict resolution
- Creative collaboration: brainstorming, strategy sessions, innovation workshops
- Cultural moments: celebrations, announcements, ceremonies
Visual Communication
Visual communication transcends language barriers and accelerates comprehension. A well-designed chart communicates trends instantly that paragraphs of text struggle to convey. Infographics distill complex data into scannable insights. Diagrams show relationships words can only describe. Visual elements aren't decoration—they're communication tools that leverage how humans process information spatially and visually.
However, bad visuals confuse more than they clarify. Cluttered slides overwhelm. Misleading charts deceive. Inconsistent formatting distracts. The key is simplicity and purpose: every visual element should communicate specific information more effectively than words alone could. Remove anything that doesn't serve clear communication. Design choices—color, layout, typography, spacing—either support or undermine your message.
Different contexts demand different visual approaches. Presentations need high-impact visuals with minimal text. Reports balance visuals with detailed written analysis. Social media requires thumb-stopping imagery optimized for mobile. Dashboards prioritize data visualization for quick decision-making. Understanding the viewing context—screen size, viewing distance, time available—shapes effective visual design.
When to Use Visual Communication
- Data trends: Charts and graphs show patterns instantly
- Processes: Flowcharts clarify steps and decision points
- Relationships: Diagrams show connections between concepts
- Comparisons: Tables and side-by-side layouts highlight differences
- Spatial information: Maps, floor plans, layouts
- Complex hierarchies: Org charts, taxonomies, system architectures
- Engagement: Images and videos capture attention and emotion
Visual Design Principles
- Simplicity: Remove everything that doesn't add value
- Contrast: Make important elements stand out
- Alignment: Create visual order and professional appearance
- Proximity: Group related elements together
- Consistency: Use fonts, colors, styles consistently
- Hierarchy: Guide the eye to most important information first
- White space: Give elements room to breathe
Presentation Slides: The 6x6 Rule
Maximum 6 bullets per slide, maximum 6 words per bullet. Better yet: use images with minimal text. Your slides support your talk—they aren't your talk. If people can read your slides, they don't need you to present.
Knowledge Check
Test your understanding of this chapter's key concepts.
Choosing the right communication medium depends on:
Email is best for:
Face-to-face communication excels at:
Video calls vs. phone calls:
Written communication advantages include:
Social media communication requires:
The medium is the message means:
Asynchronous communication benefits:
When to escalate from text to call:
Multi-channel communication means: