Ann was indignant. Near tears. She’d answered a client’s question. She meant to help her boss and show speed. Her boss, however, was furious. He believed Ann had overstepped her bounds.
Adding fuel to the fire, all communication was by email. Neither could see the other’s point. No smiley-face icon would end this standoff.
This is Howard Butt Jr. of Laity Lodge. Ann had a double problem: a misunderstanding compounded by distance. She ended the standoff in a one—two punch: one, she picked up the phone. Two, she softened her voice and let her boss explain first. From there, things improved. In our digital world, many solutions still require the human touch … in the high calling of our daily work.
