Until recently, I didn't understand why I dread holding phone conversations. Up until a year ago, I would actually have to work up my courage to punch in the numbers and press the little dial button. Then I'd start having a bad adrenaline rush where my whole body was in a complete state of tension. Given that my communication skills aren't stellar to begin with, talking on the phone just freaks me out. There's probably one or two people who I'm comfortable talking on the phone with, but only because I'm so comfortable in their presence.
I realized that when I talk to people in person, I rely excessively on nonverbal signals, perhaps more than the average person. Obviously, we all gauge how a conversation is going by the other person's facial expressions. On the phone, I feel like a blind person steering a car. I have no idea where I'm going. People tell me I sound robotic and unnatural on the phone. It's because I don't know how to handle the conversation.
As opposed to awkward phone conversations, I prefer email and instant messanger because the medium matches the method, both non-emotional and simply conveying information. I can't respond as actively to a voice over the phone than a face-to-face encounter, although I feel that the phone attempts to duplicate a live meeting. I can't gather all of the details that I need and I can't express myself purely through my voice. Of course, going through Excel spreadsheets over the phone doesn't work terribly well either. I really had to steel myself for that conversation and promptly went into hysterics the second it was over.
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