— Does one mode make a difference over another?

I strongly believe that you should communicate face-to-face as much as possible when talking to your immediate supervisor and when you’re comunicating with your subordinates. When trying to talk to your senior rater and their equivalent or above, I believe you should coordinate with your supervisor to:

1. Try to resolve the issue at the lowest level possible.

2. Ensure your supervisor is informed on the issue before you take it higher.

3. Receive their advice/guidance as to whether this is an issue that needs to go higher immediately and therefore requires a phone call/meeting, or if this is something that should be dealt with via email.

Unless you have a personal relationship with someone you work with, I would recommend avoiding using social media to contact anyone about professional matters.

— Does it make a difference when the leader is a staff officer versus a commander? An officer versus an NCO?

No. I believe my recommendations above would suite one well in any situation.

— Got a good “effective communication” story to share? Perhaps an “ineffective communication” story?

I’ve seen ineffective and effective communication occur on a daily basis. I think most ineffective communication occurs when we use email or text because we generally don’t “close the loop” with a confirmation brief. Once we send our message, we don’t always ensure the message was received and understood in its entirety, which leads to misinterpretation of the message. Furthermore, we aren’t really developing relationships if we don’t put forth the effort to physically move ourselves to someones work place to engage them. By being physically present with superiors and subordinates, we have the opportunity to show that we care and to develop stronger relationships with both parties.