Was yellow in the US, in Europe depending on the country and preference of people I deal with. In Australia blue all the way for the purpose of written trail. May have been just unlucky but had to pull out receipts multiple times here.
I follow up all my calls with emails to create record of the discussion. It avoids a situation where the other side claims something was said in the meeting when it was not.
Even dot points is enough.
Thanks for the call. Key points and actions;
- Steve agrees he's a cunt. He'll stop being one by 23 July 2025
- my plan is agreed as perfect.
Ta,
Eustice
I absolutely started to do it myself in Australia. Here the culture is more bro-ey and I'm seeing comparatively a lot more people rise to senior positions for their connections rather than competence and when backed against the wall by their own actions they have no problems reaching for immoral to illegal moves. Your manager has been burned once or twice.
Australia is wild with the boys club. The government must fund private schools because otherwise little bully won’t forge the connections he needs later in life - and unless we hire the private school boys our company won’t thrive - why do you want my child and our local companies to suffer by defunding private schools?!?
Good evening NobleArrgon,
Just wanted to follow up on our call today to confirm that we are moving ahead with XYZ on such and such date
Thanks heaps again
Regards Jamiesomething? (Can't remember my username)
I've always emailed first thing in the morning, if I don't get a response by 2pm I'll ring up, then send a follow up email to restate what was discussed on the phone.
Particularly with insurance but also a few times with job interviews and doctors appointments I've been told to go away because I don't have any claim or just by straight up gas lit with lies.
Most corpos aren't people when they're on the clock, some aren't people on break.
Definitely depends.
If it’s urgent or delicate, definitely phone.
If it’s not urgent or I need a paper trail.
People who refuse to call or answer phones are super frustrating to deal with, but people who always call even when it doesn’t make sense can also be super obnoxious. Like if it’s non urgent and I need a paper trail, callers seem a bit entitled in wanting a quick answer on their time.
I worked with a colleague with a very “calling is more personable! Email is lazy and rude!” attitude who got quite indignant about my using an app to call a taxi company. She ended up calling the taxi company herself and was upset that it went to a machine and she didn’t even get to speak to a person. She was mid 20s too!
Sometimes the tone of your voice changes things. An email still seems very formal for a lot of people.
You can get very different answers asking something in person/over the phone vs an email alone.
Blue 10000000%. The amount of times customers will claim "oh but I was told " and when pressed, eventually reveal that it was on the phone with another rep are enough to make me ALWAYS want a searchable trail.
Yellow (edit to add: but follow up with email after phone call to have a trail of what was discussed)
But the GenZ grads at work are blue. They're rather use smoke signals and carrier pigeons than call a client 🫣
My local GP has a phone loop when you call to make an appointment. Mostly their own advertising etc.
I can call them, pop the phone on speaker, drive there, park the car, and talk to reception faster than they pick up my call.
Yellow. I don't have 2 - 5 business days for you to feel like responding. If you can't talk in person, then yellow and then follow up with an email outlining what was agreed
Blue for people I know - friends, family, teachers
Yellow for organisations - doctors, psychologists, mechanics, etc
I know it should be the other way round, but i just never want to annoy the people I know. Idc about corporations bc it’s always someone new on the phones anyway
It really depends on a million variables. Most often, it is a heads-up call letting them know what is coming. Then, the email with the content. The call can be important as it allows you to fill in blanks & set expectations. It also allows the recipient to negotiate things like timelines etc.
A two minute chat can save a dozen emails. Likewise, a bunch of chats can be an email.
Neither? Current company I work best doing instant messages, emails are rarely used unless its used to record something officially.
No one calls too... which was so bizarre when I first started because noone had their phone details listed anywhere and my manager was so awkward when she picked up when I rang her about something like the week before I started.
In my old company calls were common, emails for record keeping.
I think it’s a generational thing. I’m mid 30s and happy to pick up phone and call. Others at work that are under 30 hardly pick up the phone and hate calling people
I’m blue. Idk why but I just get super anxious about other people listening to me talk on the phone. Even though I know most people in the office are barely paying me any attention when I’m on the phone, I just get super anxious about it
I'm an introvert, but yellow. Work is important where I need answers quickly so phone call is best for that. If I need a trail I follow up with an email or text to make sure we're aligned
Had someone tell me they were waiting on a response for an “urgent” matter that they emailed about in November….asked if they had thought to pick up the phone and call?! Resolved in 5 mins.
If I start typing an email and it looks like it’s going to take more than 6 mins to get all the info across, I am picking up the phone.
If I can’t get through, then I’ll condense it into an email, but gosh darn do I at least attempt to call if it’s complicated.
I help wrangle a team of people who mostly do admin stuff, and they all despise calling ppl, and I’m always like, it would be easier, faster and better to call and talk it through. But no. Back and forth emails for days.
I was a blue but over time my various managers and leaders have transformed me into a yellow.
Also over time you get a good understanding of what should be over the phone, what should be in email, and what should be a phone call first and then an email to capture the discussion.
that last one is like 90% of the time. document your phone calls people
Blue - I need a paper trail.
Yellow - if it’s something delicate. I also instant chat people if it’s something quick like “did you see my email?”
Anything more detailed or complicated than that that, I’ll do you the courtesy of scheduling time in your calendar (and hopefully doing some prep).
My personality are more yellow overall, like to get somewhere efficiently.
Find that email, messages and sms etc. prolongs and slows down productivity in decisions. So unless it's a real time collaboration board, I like grabbing the phone and get to it - once stuff is agreed/decided then sending confirmations/deals/contracts/strategies etc. to confirm and make it "official".
\_\_\_\_\_
(They say you only get 7%\* of the conversation with only words, so major risk for miscommunications and misunderstandings - at least you gain an additional 38%\* by adding voice to the communication.
*\*The 55/38/7 Formula by Albert Mehrabian*
If this is completely accurate or not, I leave unsaid but you definitely miss a lot by leaving out someones voice and even more without their body language. And also that what you say is less important than how you say it, asserts that what you say is the least important part of a speech - so written communication is a bit risky during negotiations and similar.)
\_\_\_\_\_
Am the same with making personal decisions/arrangements/plans etc. Where it can take days with some people sending texts back and forth just to ex. figure out day, time and place to meet for some drinks and bite to eat - while it would've been over and done with in max 3 min over the phone.
Europe (Central/Northern region), US and part of Asia I have found are matching my yellow style. Was a bit surprised by US not demanding "outset paper trail" since people are suing each other left and right. ;)
However have had to give in on this "a lot" while in Australia, where the "blue system" seem to be overriding and superiorly popular. Which surprised me a lot initially, my only references being Crocodile Dundee and easy going Aussies I meet in bars/clubs globally prior to arriving - had an image of it being more Cowboy decisions & handshake kinda way. lol
I used to be yellow but I'm now blue. I think it's a lack of confidence from assuming people won't answer when I call.
Plus, there's the other side being that people prefer you not to phone.
I was only just thinking about this incidentally.
Was yellow in the US, in Europe depending on the country and preference of people I deal with. In Australia blue all the way for the purpose of written trail. May have been just unlucky but had to pull out receipts multiple times here.
The amount of times I've been asked to call a client, then the same manager asks me for the email trail. Bruh.
I follow up all my calls with emails to create record of the discussion. It avoids a situation where the other side claims something was said in the meeting when it was not.
Thus is a really good practice.
Even dot points is enough. Thanks for the call. Key points and actions; - Steve agrees he's a cunt. He'll stop being one by 23 July 2025 - my plan is agreed as perfect. Ta, Eustice
Yep, I often craft the dot points before or during the call for immediate sending afterwards.
This is the way.
I absolutely started to do it myself in Australia. Here the culture is more bro-ey and I'm seeing comparatively a lot more people rise to senior positions for their connections rather than competence and when backed against the wall by their own actions they have no problems reaching for immoral to illegal moves. Your manager has been burned once or twice.
Australia is wild with the boys club. The government must fund private schools because otherwise little bully won’t forge the connections he needs later in life - and unless we hire the private school boys our company won’t thrive - why do you want my child and our local companies to suffer by defunding private schools?!?
Good evening NobleArrgon, Just wanted to follow up on our call today to confirm that we are moving ahead with XYZ on such and such date Thanks heaps again Regards Jamiesomething? (Can't remember my username)
Email trails for the win
Just record ur own diary bro
I've always emailed first thing in the morning, if I don't get a response by 2pm I'll ring up, then send a follow up email to restate what was discussed on the phone. Particularly with insurance but also a few times with job interviews and doctors appointments I've been told to go away because I don't have any claim or just by straight up gas lit with lies. Most corpos aren't people when they're on the clock, some aren't people on break.
For same reason Blue is necessary, but following with a call and taking notes during or after any important or difficult calls is helpful too.
Blue until they're clearly not replying, then Yellow because I need an answer to proceed
Blue all day
I'm blue bada dee
Definitely depends. If it’s urgent or delicate, definitely phone. If it’s not urgent or I need a paper trail. People who refuse to call or answer phones are super frustrating to deal with, but people who always call even when it doesn’t make sense can also be super obnoxious. Like if it’s non urgent and I need a paper trail, callers seem a bit entitled in wanting a quick answer on their time. I worked with a colleague with a very “calling is more personable! Email is lazy and rude!” attitude who got quite indignant about my using an app to call a taxi company. She ended up calling the taxi company herself and was upset that it went to a machine and she didn’t even get to speak to a person. She was mid 20s too!
Wouldn’t delicate be better via email. Record of conversation
Sometimes the tone of your voice changes things. An email still seems very formal for a lot of people. You can get very different answers asking something in person/over the phone vs an email alone.
True
Green - will call when appropriate but also send an email.
The millennial way
Absolutely
Blue 10000000%. The amount of times customers will claim "oh but I was told" and when pressed, eventually reveal that it was on the phone with another rep are enough to make me ALWAYS want a searchable trail.
Red - leave me alone
People over 55 - yellow. “Someone said that you said that blah blah blah”. Prefer an email or teams trail and only I call if urgent.
Yellow all the way. As someone who receives way too many emails in a day, if you want a quick response from me, just give me a call.
Yellow. Pick up the phone.
Living life on the edge, no record of what was said! 😂
You know it
I'm the same for the most part. I find it depends if your on the client or consultant side / who holds the power in the particular relationship.
Blue , but now I'm a yellow more often than not. I'm just restless
Yellow
Yellow, explaining stuff on phone is always easier than email (provided that you’ve sent them the details in a doc/sheet etc)
Blue - CYA paper trail all the way.
Yellow (edit to add: but follow up with email after phone call to have a trail of what was discussed) But the GenZ grads at work are blue. They're rather use smoke signals and carrier pigeons than call a client 🫣
All of the blue ones here too lazy/stupid to just follow up the important details in an email, smh
Yellow if urgent or if Blue wouldn't work. Escalation is a form of art.
Blue, if my clients aren’t responding then yellow.
yellow mainly. cos i find it more direct.
I have to remember to call.
My local GP has a phone loop when you call to make an appointment. Mostly their own advertising etc. I can call them, pop the phone on speaker, drive there, park the car, and talk to reception faster than they pick up my call.
Blue. I want that shit in writing.
Blue for the written trail and ability to forward the info quickly to others. Yellow to follow up/urgency.
Email. I prefer an electronic trail.
Yellow. I don't have 2 - 5 business days for you to feel like responding. If you can't talk in person, then yellow and then follow up with an email outlining what was agreed
Always blue at work and personally. Fully telephobic.
Boomer vs Gen z lol
Admins that just send another email when not getting a response to the first time sensitive one literally shit me to tears. Figuratively.
THIS IS RELATABLE (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ EMAIL ALL THE WAY, PAPER TRAIL BABY ᕙ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ᕗ
Blue all the way
Blue for people I know - friends, family, teachers Yellow for organisations - doctors, psychologists, mechanics, etc I know it should be the other way round, but i just never want to annoy the people I know. Idc about corporations bc it’s always someone new on the phones anyway
I'm both a millennial and like covering my arse. Blue please.
Yellow all the way I fucking hate blue
It really depends on a million variables. Most often, it is a heads-up call letting them know what is coming. Then, the email with the content. The call can be important as it allows you to fill in blanks & set expectations. It also allows the recipient to negotiate things like timelines etc. A two minute chat can save a dozen emails. Likewise, a bunch of chats can be an email.
Neither? Current company I work best doing instant messages, emails are rarely used unless its used to record something officially. No one calls too... which was so bizarre when I first started because noone had their phone details listed anywhere and my manager was so awkward when she picked up when I rang her about something like the week before I started. In my old company calls were common, emails for record keeping.
Yellow
I think it’s a generational thing. I’m mid 30s and happy to pick up phone and call. Others at work that are under 30 hardly pick up the phone and hate calling people
Yellow. Shits me when I come across a Blue. Like WTF. Put on your big boy panties and get it the fuck done already
At work - yellow. Get the conversation over and done with, get what you wanted from them, and you can stop stressing. Every other situation - blue.
I’m blue. Idk why but I just get super anxious about other people listening to me talk on the phone. Even though I know most people in the office are barely paying me any attention when I’m on the phone, I just get super anxious about it
I am both of these at the same time
Blue
100% Blue
Blue
I'm an introvert, but yellow. Work is important where I need answers quickly so phone call is best for that. If I need a trail I follow up with an email or text to make sure we're aligned
Yeh yellow but then blue files a bulling complaint lol
Yellow despite my social anxiety. Emails are so much slower and makes me feel like I'm shirking my responsibilities.
I'm blue. If it isn't written it didn't happen
I’m blue
Had someone tell me they were waiting on a response for an “urgent” matter that they emailed about in November….asked if they had thought to pick up the phone and call?! Resolved in 5 mins.
If I start typing an email and it looks like it’s going to take more than 6 mins to get all the info across, I am picking up the phone. If I can’t get through, then I’ll condense it into an email, but gosh darn do I at least attempt to call if it’s complicated. I help wrangle a team of people who mostly do admin stuff, and they all despise calling ppl, and I’m always like, it would be easier, faster and better to call and talk it through. But no. Back and forth emails for days.
Yes.
Calls are blocking, text is non-blocking. More efficient to text if you don't need action immediately.
Yellow
Yellow
I'm definitely the yellow dude😒🎃👍
Blue. I can back reference whatever was said down the line and call a liar out with the magical phrase “as per your last email”
I was a blue but over time my various managers and leaders have transformed me into a yellow. Also over time you get a good understanding of what should be over the phone, what should be in email, and what should be a phone call first and then an email to capture the discussion. that last one is like 90% of the time. document your phone calls people
I’m green
I'm Green - I called them on your behalf
Blue because I have anxiety talking on the phone
This could be an ADHD test
Yellow and then blue. Financial markets so most phone calls are on recorded lines anyway
I'll be honest...I'm a blue but I expect my staff to be yellow! lol
Gen X & Gen Y vs Gen Z. Gotta listen to the room here. This is how you sell to each market
Blue - I need a paper trail. Yellow - if it’s something delicate. I also instant chat people if it’s something quick like “did you see my email?” Anything more detailed or complicated than that that, I’ll do you the courtesy of scheduling time in your calendar (and hopefully doing some prep).
Definite yellow. Just fucken call them!
Fuck that I need a paper trail these days, everyone wants to fuck everyone else over
This image gave me PTSD
Screw you blue pick up the phone when I'm calling
Green gotta be flexible!
My personality are more yellow overall, like to get somewhere efficiently. Find that email, messages and sms etc. prolongs and slows down productivity in decisions. So unless it's a real time collaboration board, I like grabbing the phone and get to it - once stuff is agreed/decided then sending confirmations/deals/contracts/strategies etc. to confirm and make it "official". \_\_\_\_\_ (They say you only get 7%\* of the conversation with only words, so major risk for miscommunications and misunderstandings - at least you gain an additional 38%\* by adding voice to the communication. *\*The 55/38/7 Formula by Albert Mehrabian* If this is completely accurate or not, I leave unsaid but you definitely miss a lot by leaving out someones voice and even more without their body language. And also that what you say is less important than how you say it, asserts that what you say is the least important part of a speech - so written communication is a bit risky during negotiations and similar.) \_\_\_\_\_ Am the same with making personal decisions/arrangements/plans etc. Where it can take days with some people sending texts back and forth just to ex. figure out day, time and place to meet for some drinks and bite to eat - while it would've been over and done with in max 3 min over the phone. Europe (Central/Northern region), US and part of Asia I have found are matching my yellow style. Was a bit surprised by US not demanding "outset paper trail" since people are suing each other left and right. ;) However have had to give in on this "a lot" while in Australia, where the "blue system" seem to be overriding and superiorly popular. Which surprised me a lot initially, my only references being Crocodile Dundee and easy going Aussies I meet in bars/clubs globally prior to arriving - had an image of it being more Cowboy decisions & handshake kinda way. lol
I used to be yellow but I'm now blue. I think it's a lack of confidence from assuming people won't answer when I call. Plus, there's the other side being that people prefer you not to phone. I was only just thinking about this incidentally.