Explain how communication strategies vary according to the situation and those involved.
What mode to use depends on the level of intimacy required based on the person, your rela- tionship, and the message. The levels of intimacy, in descending order, are:
● in person ● by phone ● voice mail ● text ● e-mail ● postal mail ● posting on social media sites, including blogs
Meeting someone face-to-face is the most intimate contact. The individual can see your face, see your body movements, and hear your words simultaneously. The telephone is slightly less intimate than in-person communication. Tone of voice, for instance, can be conveyed, and phone conversations can be two-way. Voice mail is the next level of communication. Voice mail is useful to convey information that is not necessarily sensitive and may or may not require a reply. The time and place of an upcoming meeting, for example, can be communicated by voice mail, which has the added advantage of avoiding “phone tag.”