Someone else a bit lower says, "well, if it's an emergency, just call them!" When people are in a meeting, they *don't answer their phones*. That's the whole point of sending an email (or text message, I suppose) that could be answered or at least read on the phone. For an environment in a meeting, text or email really is the best way to do it, and the choice of which simply depends on if they have a smartphone. If they do, email is, by far, the best. You can send a document, for example, and say, "I need a decision on this in the next half hour" and get it, while a phone call or desperate attempts to find what meeting room they are in fail. If you believe its an emergency, but they don't, they can tell you that without wasting their time.
That being said...
It's all dependent on the environment. In my *current* workplace, I do not use email unless it is unimportant. Many people tend to not check it in real time, or have a habit of not responding terribly quickly. No one other than me has a smartphone hooked into the email system (in fact, I am the only person in the company who *owns* a smartphone, which stuns me). I think only one or two people in the company knows how to use a text message either, for that matter (no, we do not still have rotary phones, but it would not surprise me either...). So really, the absolutely BEST way of getting in touch with folks is to just call the main number and ask the receptionist to patch you through, and if they are in a meeting, tell the receptionist that it is an emergency and to interrupt the meeting. It's like 1973 or something, people don't even have direct dial lines to their desks and all extensions are internal use only...
J.Ja
