Rants and Email Chains Won’t Fix Your Problem—Real Conversations Will

How picking up the phone, having face-to-face conversations, and choosing the right communication tool can prevent misunderstandings, build trust, and keep your business moving forward.

We’ve all been stuck in an endless email thread that seems to go in circles, growing more confusing with each reply. What started as a simple question suddenly morphs into a multi-day back-and-forth, with misunderstandings piling up like an unread inbox on a Monday morning.

All problems start with communication.

This week, I had to step in and resolve a miscommunication that escalated due to a lack of trust between two opposing parties. The problem? Everything was happening over email. There was no tone, no body language, no real-time feedback—just assumptions and misinterpretations fueling frustration on both sides.

And let’s be honest—email is often the worst tool for problem-solving.

So, I picked up the phone and scheduled face-to-face conversations.

The Problem with Email: It Creates More Problems

Leaders often default to email for convenience, but they fail to realize that most workplace conflicts and bottlenecks aren’t about what’s being said—they’re about how it’s interpreted.

Most leaders mistakenly rely on email for urgent problem-solving. The average worker spends 28% of their day reading and responding to emails. That’s nearly a third of your workday spent managing a digital to-do list instead of getting things done (GSD!). Email lacks tone, nuance, and nonverbal cues—leading to more miscommunication.

In the case I handled this week, each party was reading into the other’s words with their assumptions, building their narrative about why the other person was being difficult. But when I got them to communicate directly, connections were made.

Once I listened to each side’s perspective, it became clear that they weren’t as far apart as they thought. They were both trying to achieve the same goal but had different approaches—and email had only widened the gap. We could clarify misunderstandings, find common ground, and rebuild trust by shifting to real-time communication.

Social Media Is Not a Conflict Resolution Tool

If email is bad for resolving issues, social media is even worse.

Yet we see it all the time—people airing grievances, calling out colleagues or businesses, or subtweeting their frustrations. It might feel good in the moment, but here’s the reality: Ranting on social media is rarely productive and rarely solves the problem.

Publicly venting about workplace frustrations makes things messier, not better. It damages relationships, fuels negativity, and—worst of all—it often backfires. Instead of addressing the real issue, it creates unnecessary drama and puts people on the defensive.

So what should you do instead?

Take it offline. If you’re frustrated, go directly to the source. A phone call or face-to-face conversation is far more effective than blasting your concerns online.

Pause before posting. Ask yourself: “Is this helping solve the problem, or just making it worse?” If it’s not productive, don’t post it.

Be solution-oriented. Venting might feel good in the short term, but real leadership means finding a resolution—not just pointing out problems.

Use the Right Tool for the Right Task

If you want to get things done efficiently, you need to match the communication tool to the task:

Quick decisions? Call or Slack. Real-time communication is faster, clearer, and eliminates unnecessary back-and-forth.

Collaboration? Shared docs or project management tools. These keep everyone aligned and reduce miscommunication.

Documentation? Email. Use it for things that need to be recorded, not conversations requiring clarity.

The Bottom Line: Pick Up the Phone

We often hide behind email because it feels safer—it lets us avoid confrontation, control our messaging, and keep everything "on record." But in doing so, we sacrifice clarity, connection, and efficiency.

If your inbox is full of long, back-and-forth threads, ask yourself: Would a quick call resolve this faster? Would a face-to-face conversation prevent misinterpretation?

And if you’re tempted to take your frustrations to social media, stop and think: Am I venting, or am I solving?

Let’s stop wasting time in our inboxes and on our social feeds—and start solving problems the right way.

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