I’ve learned some useful new skills in the aftermath of our 25-1000 (depending on which political agenda the expert endorses) year flood. When pulling out sodden carpeting, box cutters are my slicers of choice. I now know that a crow bar is not the way to go when pulling nails out of concrete. The Stanley Wonderbar Pry Bar, a thing of beauty, is most definitely more effective. Of course these tools have been around for a long time, but until now I did not see a need to employ them, not usually being in the basement wrecking business.

But most of us are in the collaboration business. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, “That Thing With the Buttons and Receiver? Pick It Up,” Anita Hofschneider observed that “Younger workers may have mastered technologies that some of their older colleagues have barely heard of, such as photo and video sharing apps Instagram and Vine, but some bosses wish they’d learn a more traditional skill: picking up the phone.” Another tool that has been around a long time, and sometimes is the best tool for the job. Ineffective use of technology is certainly nothing new. When I first became part of a global high tech production team, many of my colleagues relied on email almost exclusively. I noticed that

if it was at all possible to meet colleagues face-to-face, I could always accomplish my mission faster than my counterparts who stuck to email.

Since most of the content of any communication does not lie in words alone, it may make sense to experiment a little or simply ask those around you what their preferences are. This may seem overly fussy, but using the right tool for the job may save significant time and energy.