Communication method selection has become a critical leadership skill in today’s hybrid workplace. Your choice of channel—whether in-person, video, email, or phone—significantly impacts how your message is received and interpreted.
Inspired by Tiffany Jenkins’ “Strangers and Intimates,” we’re reminded that communication settings influence whether someone feels like a valued team member or just another stranger behind a screen. Furthermore, Jenkins explores how the erosion of private life and the constant demand for public sharing have blurred our ability to connect meaningfully. That tension is equally relevant in leadership communication today.
According to Pumble’s 2025 workplace communication statistics, “53% feel anxious about the possibility of misinterpreting written messages”. Additionally, researchers from the US firm Gartner found that poor communication is responsible for 70% of corporate errors. Therefore, choosing the right effective communication delivery method is crucial.
Employees are ultimately asking: “Do you really see me, or are you just going through the motions?” Your effective communication delivery method answers that question before you speak a single word.
In-Person: Where Transparency Shines in Face-to-Face Conversations
Despite being the most effective method for conveying complex information, in-person interactions make up only 23% of business communication in today’s workplace. Nevertheless, these face-to-face moments provide the most honest mirror of your intentions.
Jenkins emphasizes that physical presence allows us to relax into ourselves—to let our guard down and to trust. Consequently, within a shared space, you don’t just communicate words; you convey mood, pause, and posture. These subtle cues create a full-spectrum experience of empathy and human acknowledgment in effective communication delivery.
According to historical records, 19th-century offices were designed with clear hierarchies, where “merchants and clerks were housed on the building’s lower floors, while the owners often lived above the office”. This physical proximity meant supervisors and employees worked within earshot, creating direct lines of communication that modern distributed teams lack. When we choose in-person effective communication delivery today, we recreate those immediate connections that have proven valuable for over two centuries.
Use in-person effective communication delivery when: Delivering feedback, addressing concerns, conducting performance reviews, or resolving conflict.
Video Calls: The Middle Ground of Effective Communication Delivery
Video calls present a filtered version of professional presence in effective communication delivery. As Jenkins notes, we’ve traded privacy for visibility, and often mistake visibility for genuine connection.
Showpad’s research reveals that 76% of employees report being more distracted on video calls compared to in-person meetings. On Zoom, eye contact is filtered through a lens. Furthermore, gestures can feel performative. Virtual backgrounds, lag time, and camera angles all combine to project a professional persona rather than enable authentic engagement in effective communication delivery.
This setting, while practical for effective communication delivery, can feel more like a stage than a conversation. And the performance can make employees question whether your concern is rehearsed rather than real.
Tips to improve video-based effective communication delivery:
- Adjust your camera to eye level to simulate direct eye contact
- Avoid virtual backgrounds unless essential
- Use hand gestures mindfully to reinforce empathy
- Build in a short check-in before tough conversations begin
Use video for effective communication delivery when: Sharing updates, coaching sessions, and maintaining visibility with remote teams.
Email: Important Considerations for Communication Method Selection
EmailTooltester’s 2024 research shows email remains the most popular tool in workplace communication method selection, with 52.5% of workers using email at least weekly (https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/blog/workplace-communication-statistics/). This common communication method selection option offers distinct advantages and limitations.
Email-based communication method selection provides clear documentation, accommodates time zone differences, and allows recipients to process information at their own pace. Nevertheless, research from Pumble reveals that “53% feel anxious about the possibility of misinterpreting written messages”. Without vocal tone and facial expressions, email’s effectiveness for complex or sensitive topics is limited.
Best practices for email as an effective communication delivery:
- Use clear, concise subject lines that preview content
- Front-load important information in the first paragraph
- Break text into scannable sections with headers or bullet points
- Consider tone carefully—what sounds efficient to you might read as abrupt to others
- For emotional or complex topics, draft emails, but consider if another medium would be more effective
Use email for effective communication delivery when: Sharing information that needs documentation, distributing resources or links, communicating across time zones, or providing context before meetings.
Phone Calls: The Challenge of Audio-Only Effective Communication Delivery
Phone-only delivery often strips away the warmth of intention in effective communication delivery. Jenkins warns that when transparency becomes mandatory, we lose subtlety and embrace false literalness.
According to the College of Public Speaking, phone conversations are particularly prone to misinterpretation because “there are no visual aids to help us be less prone to misinterpretation”. Audio-only formats remove all visual context, making it harder to tell if someone is joking, anxious, or genuinely concerned.
In effective communication delivery, employees may hear formality as indifference during phone calls. And in the absence of face or gesture, even neutral words can sound sterile. Leaders who rely solely on phone conversations for emotional topics risk coming across as mechanical—or worse, careless.
Use phone calls for effective communication delivery when sharing quick updates or logistical information, never for emotionally complex conversations that require nuance and connection.
Strategic Framework: Match the Message to the Medium
| Message Type |
Recommended Effective Communication Delivery Method |
Why It Works |
| Feedback & Reviews |
In-person |
Invites emotional depth and clarity |
| Updates & Check-ins |
Video calls |
Efficient while preserving some facial cues |
| Documentation & Information Sharing |
Email |
Creates a record and allows thoughtful processing |
| Logistics & Confirmations |
Phone or chat |
Direct and time-saving for neutral details |
| Conflict/Performance Issues |
In-person (preferred) or video calls |
Provides space for empathy and repair |
| Recognition |
Mixed: Public recognition + private follow-up |
Maintains dignity and authenticity |
Adapting Effective Communication Delivery for Company Size
Jenkins reminds us that intimacy isn’t a volume game—it’s about trust, boundaries, and meaningful discretion. As organizations grow, effective communication delivery must evolve without losing these human elements.
Research from Grammarly’s 2024 State of Business Communication report shows that miscommunication costs US businesses $1.2 trillion annually (https://www.notta.ai/en/blog/workplace-communication-statistics). This impact varies significantly based on organizational scale:
Small Companies (<250 employees):
- Leverage proximity for spontaneous, face-to-face effective communication delivery
- Ensure team members know when a conversation warrants privacy
- Create designated spaces for confidential conversations
- Implement simple documentation systems to support verbal discussions
Mid-Size Organizations (250-1,000 employees):
- Set standards for video-based and in-person effective communication delivery touchpoints
- Empower middle managers to recognize when delivery tone matters most
- Create clear escalation pathways for sensitive information
- Develop guidelines for cross-departmental communication
Enterprise Level (1,000+ employees):
Technology’s Role in Effective Communication Delivery
Tools like SimplyMerit enhance effective communication delivery by connecting managers with their own managers to prompt better alignment on performance expectations and appropriate levels of recognition and reward. By facilitating this multi-level leadership communication, SimplyMerit ensures employees receive clear, consistent messages about results and rewards throughout all management tiers.
This alignment of communication across leadership levels is crucial for effective compensation conversations. When managers at all levels share consistent understanding and expectations, their communication with employees becomes more authentic, transparent, and fair, regardless of whether these conversations happen in person, via video, or through other channels.
As Jenkins cautions, tools don’t replace humanity in effective communication delivery. Moreover, they’re amplifiers, not substitutes. Use them to create alignment across your leadership team, so every manager can deliver consistent, fair messages about performance and compensation when it matters most.
Final Thoughts: Strategic Presence in Effective Communication Delivery
As “Strangers and Intimates” teaches us, meaningful professional connections are built through intentional interactions, not casual exposure. The most effective workplace conversations aren’t impromptu exchanges but purposeful, thoughtful dialogues conducted in appropriate settings.
Surveys from Forbes Advisor show that preference for communication methods varies significantly by age: 40% of respondents between ages 59-77 prefer in-person conversations, while this drops to just 17% for those between 18-26 (https://www.notta.ai/en/blog/workplace-communication-statistics). Therefore, as workplace leaders, our effective communication delivery decisions must account for these demographic preferences.
The next time you prepare to deliver an important message, don’t just ask what to say. Instead, ask: Where should I be when I say this? Who do I want to be in that moment? That choice in effective communication delivery will tell your employees everything they need to know.
Quick Implementation Checklist for Improved Effective Communication Delivery
✅ Audit your current effective communication delivery patterns for key interactions.
✅ Tag conversations that deserve face-to-face presence.
✅ Improve video setups: camera position, lighting, and backgrounds.
✅ Use phone strategically; avoid sensitive topics.
✅ Train managers on when and how to switch effective communication delivery methods.
✅ Solicit feedback from employees about what feels best.
Call to Action
Ready to transform your organization’s effective communication delivery? Our team at MorganHR can help you implement strategic communication frameworks supported by data-driven tools like SimplyMerit that enhance your compensation conversations.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how effective communication delivery can improve employee engagement, retention, and performance.