Fear of phones?

Does anyone else have a horror of talking on the phone? I have hated using the phone since I was a child, although it is hard to pin down exactly why I dislike it so much. I think my main difficulty is 'reading' how a conversation is going when I can't see the other person. I pause for too long, or jump in too soon, or struggle to pick up crucial info from their tone - is this a bad time to call? am I making myself clear?

I am currently going through a work-related nightmare scenario where I have been asked to make loads of phone calls - in a situation I have always previously handled by email - and I feel stressed and anxious about all the time: anticipating the calls, making the calls, reflecting on the calls. It is supposed to be making everyone feel encouraged, but if any of the hapless recipients are like me they will be thoroughly put off!

I have always thought this was just a random failure on my part, but now I am wondering whether it is integral to my nature.

Parents
  • Hi juteweaver,

    Have you told your manager that you find phone calls very difficult to handle? Don't feel forced to do something that causes you stress - if your manager is good, then they will know that they need to get the best of their workers, and that means placing them in the roles that they perform best in!x

    Much love <3

Reply
  • Hi juteweaver,

    Have you told your manager that you find phone calls very difficult to handle? Don't feel forced to do something that causes you stress - if your manager is good, then they will know that they need to get the best of their workers, and that means placing them in the roles that they perform best in!x

    Much love <3

Children
  • Thanks RSxo. I think you have crystallised the dilemma for me. Of course, I should tell my manager this, so why didn't I? I have been trading off in my head the two discomforts - the discomfort of phoning vs the discomfort of the Difficult Conversation and its consequences. When the phone calls were still a few weeks off, I was able to minimise the future discomfort in my head and tell myself that the conversation with my boss was too awkward. Now I am experiencing the pain of the phoning discomfort and realise I made a misjudgement! Not that the conversation wouldn't be awkward, but it looks a lot less 'relatively awkward' from here. Next time I will come to this group for advice first :-)