Skype went down yesterday for all of a few hours and my working day was completely blown!

I work with a number of clients who rely heavily on Skype and use it as an internal communications tool. Many of them say, try me on Skype before you email me as I can never get all the way through my inbox. It is a great way to grab someone’s attention very quickly and ask for a link or file.

So, when it went down yesterday, it felt slightly alien to me to be emailing and calling some of my clients in the traditional manner. And I started to think how we’re now spoilt for different ways to communicate – text, email, phone, video call, IM, fax (well, maybe).

What’s clear is that with so many different ways to communicate on a professional level, it’s important to map to the preferences of others… but also never rely too heavily on written comms. Nothing beats a good chin wag for getting to know the best way to work together!

Skype is now back in running order! So, I’ll get back to sending smileys .