Sacking staff by text or delegating a difficult task by email are just some of the reasons social experts say we are becoming a nation of cowards.
According to a new report out by the Post Office, 73% of people admit to delegating difficult tasks at work by email and text, whilst 52% use these forms of technology to contact new business prospects.
Stewart Fox-Mills, head of telephony at the Post Office, said: “Digital technology is constantly giving us new ways to communicate, which enriches our day-to-day lives. But we’ve found that many people are in fact using modern technology to keep a ‘digital distance’ and avoid face-to-face or verbal confrontation.”
Etiquette expert and author of the report Liz Brewer added: “Whenever I am teaching people about etiquette, I always remind them that the key is selecting the appropriate method of communication for the task in hand.
“If you’re dishing out discipline, it should be face-to-face but, of course, these days there’s no need to send a formal letter if you are simply arranging a night out at the pub.”
See the Editors’ blog this week, for a more in-depth look at this issue.
