Most of us now have perfectly acceptable voice-mail and e-mail. The trick isn’t in the technology; it is in the changing of habits. (Gentle reader, please note this recurring theme.) We have to learn to ask, Does this kind of news or question deserve an interrupt? Can I continue to get work done while I wait for an answer? Does this message need immediate recognition? If not, how long can it wait without causing a problem? Once you ask these questions, your best mode of communication is usually pretty obvious.
