Is Employee Management via Text Okay?

I consider myself a tech geek.  I don’t have to have every new gadget, but I believe I’m near the cutting edge.  I use new ideas in tech all the time; however I have started to see a trend that bothers me, managing employees via text.   Have we reached a point where (to me) an impersonal text is accepted way to manage employees?

I have been around long enough to see two-way radios, beepers, alpha-numeric pagers, bag cell phones, cell phones, Push to talk cell phones, and email.  All these devices were tools to facilitate faster communications, saving time, and money. Even with all these improvements face to face conversations were still the norm for totally private (or secure) information.  I was told repeatedly to be a good manager you had to develop your communication or people skills.

Four workers in Britain were fired via text in March 2007.   “The message, which each of the four received had said, “Due to the lack of professionalism and poor overall performance of the Chester office, I have no option but to let u go,” It went on to say “Ur pay wil be calculated and paid on pay day. U are not required to go into the office. All belongings wil be sent to u.” (Duffy, Michelle.  http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/138840#ixzz20up8muXD).  I can’t even believe a manager could even think of sending a text like this.

I believe text may be okay for some things.  I just can’t think of any.  I am old fashioned in I want to at least hear a voice when I am asking for something to be done.  Let me know what you think.  Please post your comments below, on Twitter, or email.