As an operations manager working with a younger team of PR professionals, one thing has struck me; the phone fills them with dread.
They will happily and confidently draft a beautifully worded email or chat on Teams, WhatsApp and on Zoom calls. But if there is a need to make a telephone call. If the phone rings, their confidence dips, and excuses are made to avoid picking it up or making that call.
A generational issue?
It’s tempting to dismiss this as a generational issue (Gen Z), but I think it reflects deeper shifts in how we all communicate. However, for many young professionals, messaging apps and email have been the primary forms of contact. Phone calls are seen as intrusive, unpredictable and therefore can induce anxiety.
But in PR, communications are everything. Picking up the phone is still one of the most effective ways to build relationships, resolve issues quickly, and get answers fast.
Is this a soft skills issue?
I believe it’s not so much about skills or ability, but rather a lack of practice. Without using the telephone regularly in everyday life, confidence naturally suffers. Soft skills such as active listening, adapting tone and having difficult conversations are developed through practice, a little coaching and repetition.
Our younger colleagues are brilliant writers, communicators and digital storytellers. But phone conversations require a different skill set, one that some haven’t been encouraged to develop.
How can we overcome this?
First of all, we need to recognise that nerves and anxiety around making calls are common and not a personal flaw.
At Briscoe PR, we are trialling a rota for answering the phone, and encouraging each team member to make at least one outbound call a week, in place of a chasing email or message. We are also creating standardised scripts and phrases to ease the fear of the unknown.
We also need to start demonstrating that practice makes perfect! Something as simple as occasionally making internal calls instead of defaulting to WhatsApp or Google Chat can help. Starting small builds confidence and will make conversations over the phone feel less daunting.
Striking the right balance
It’s important to appreciate that newer styles of communication are not the enemy; messaging and email can be efficient and often the right tool. But the old-fashioned telephone conversation is vital, particularly in a profession built on communication and connections.
The challenge is to strike the right balance between encouraging a generation used to instant, non-verbal communication to see the value of voice communication, without undermining the strengths they already bring to the team.
Because, like it or not, sometimes the quickest way to solve a problem isn’t another email, it’s simply answering the phone.