How to encourage communication by email or IM?
I recently started a new job. Overall it's going well. I work part time as a contractor. Most of the work is remote. I basically work with one other person who is the owner of the company. He almost always communicates with me by text messages or unscheduled phone calls. I think this method of communication is bad for both of our productivity. I get in some scenarios these may be the best (like call if there's an emergency). But for things like instructions, changes to the schedule or pay related topics, I much rather have them in writing. I suggested to him we use an instant messenger. He agreed and we set one up. But then he just never uses it. As one example, the other day he called to discuss some work. I turned out he needed to show me how to do something so he remotely connected to my computer to demonstrate. I was scrambling to take notes by hand. During the call he got pulled away 2 or 3 times, and we had trouble picking up from where we left off. I was thinking if he had written the instructions in an email it would have been easier for us.
I recently started a new job. Overall it's going well. I work part time as a contractor. Most of the work is remote. I basically work with one other person who is the owner of the company. He almost always communicates with me by text messages or unscheduled phone calls. I think this method of communication is bad for both of our productivity. I get in some scenarios these may be the best (like call if there's an emergency). But for things like instructions, changes to the schedule or pay related topics, I much rather have them in writing. I suggested to him we use an instant messenger. He agreed and we set one up. But then he just never uses it.
As one example, the other day he called to discuss some work. I turned out he needed to show me how to do something so he remotely connected to my computer to demonstrate. I was scrambling to take notes by hand. During the call he got pulled away 2 or 3 times, and we had trouble picking up from where we left off. I was thinking if he had written the instructions in an email it would have been easier for us.
