7 Big Mistake
Meltdown of Communication Through Technology Use
E-mail is a unique communication vehicle for a lot of reasons. However, e-mail is not a substitute for direct interaction.
—Bill Gates
All of us have been the victims of miscommunication through technological outlets. Simply put, one of the largest causes of this problem comes from the fact that it is almost impossible to convey tone, attitude, vocal inflections, and facial expressions in an e-mail the same way you can in person.
“I can’t talk. I’m in an e-mail mood.”
E-mail is one of the largest causes of communication breakdowns. It is fast, easy, and gets our message out there, but it does not take into account the emotions that can be read in the message. Building rapport is the ultimate goal of communication, and an e-mail can ruin that rapport with the click of a mouse.
Many studies have been conducted regarding the likelihood of conflict and e-mail messaging. Kristin Byron, from Syracuse University’s business school, finds that conflict and miscommunication with e-mail is likely. The intent of the sender isn’t always clear, and positive e-mail messages may be interpreted as more neutral, and neutral e-mails as more negative. She found jokes were rated as less funny by recipients than by senders.
Other factors that can harm overall communication when e-mailing is the look of the e-mail, how formal or informal it is, and whether it contains spelling errors. A typo or a misplaced word can cause the recipient to question the professionalism of the sender. E-mail is a wonderful mode of communication when used in the correct way for the correct purpose. When you are trying to build or strengthen a relationship, pick up the telephone or walk to the other person’s office instead. This will ensure that they are receiving the intended message.
Best Practices for E-Mail
Make sure the subject line is pertinent and to the point.
Write an e-mail like a letter, with a greeting, body, and closing.
Do not use color or design as a background for a professional e-mail.
Use punctuation correctly.
Reread the e-mail slowly to ensure that there are no errors.
Remember that spell check does not catch incorrect word usage, just misspelled words.
Be direct and to the point. Most people do not have time to read long e-mails.
If the e-mail has to have all of the details, put the executive summary at the top, outline what the e-mail includes, and then provide the details.
If you would like to add an e-mail disclaimer like “sensitive” or “do not forward,” place it in the subject line. Be aware that people often glance at e-mails and do not read all the way to the end, which is why the disclaimer should be put in the subject line.
DO send an e-mail:
When you are relaying information with no emotional attachment.
When you need to give a concise response.
With less frequency than physical or telephone contact; make sure more direct contact is used with a 3:1 ratio to e-mail. Face-to-face and telephone contact builds relationships. E-mail does not.
Do NOT send an e-mail:
If the topic is emotional. Pick up the telephone or make an appointment to resolve the issue.
If the other person becomes emotional during the e-mail exchange, pick up the phone.
If the e-mail exchange is going back and forth with no resolution, pick up the phone and bring closure to the conversation.
If the e-mail sounds the least bit emotional, or if you are not sure, have someone objective read it.
When you are angry or upset, do not ever put your feelings in writing.
To your entire address book. Send an e-mail only to the necessary parties.
If it is a direct and lengthy response to only one person.
If you risk projecting an image to your superiors that your day is spent mostly sending and reading e-mail, thus making them wonder what else you should be doing.
If you do not wish to have it forwarded to others.
Ask Yourself These Crucial Questions
About E-mail
What message am I trying to send?
Have I reread this e-mail enough times to catch any errors?
Should I call or make an appointment with the person instead?
Texting
Texting can lead to all kinds of social faux pas and misunderstandings, so keep the following ideas in mind before you press “send.” Also, keep in mind this one caveat: Know your customer, know your colleague. This is changing as the pace of business keeps increasing and additional generations enter the workforce. Adapt to the receiver to meet your goals.
The biggest offense is texting while having a face-to-face conversation.
Focus on the person in front of you.
Just because your colleagues are texting does not mean that it is professional; look for ways to set yourself apart.
Know when it is appropriate to use shorthand and emoticons.
Texting should be your last alternative when communicating with a customer unless that is how they like to communicate. Keep track and document all of the texts sent back and forth.
Take the customer’s lead with texting but realize that it does not ever take the place of a real conversation.
Ask Yourself These Crucial Questions
About Texting
What message am I trying to send?
Does this message match my professionalism? Is it too casual?
Should I call the person instead?
Bonus Tips for E-mail and Texting
Another thing to consider when sending texts or e-mails to a professional contact is response time. Understanding the importance of this small detail can go a long way with current or future clients.
Know the expectation of your key stakeholders. We have many clients who feel that two hours is too long to get a response for any e-mail or text that is sent.
Each company has its own standards and each manager may have his or her own standards. The key is to manage expectations.
The general rule of thumb is no more than three hours to at least acknowledge that you have received the message.
Also, people do not realize how others interpret their e-mails. Researchers find that the sender of an e-mail writes from his or her perspective and assumes that the recipient will read the message with the same perspective. In fact, it is hard for the sender to realize that his or her intention will be interpreted in any other way than what he or she meant.
Over the years multiple e-mail experiments have been conducted to see how closely aligned the sender’s message is to the recipient’s understanding of the communication. In 2005, The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published an article called “Egocentrism Over E-Mail: Can We Communicate as Well as We Think?” Justin Kruger of New York University, Nicholas Epley of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and Jason Parker and Zhi-Wen Ng of Stein School of Business at NYU conducted five experiments. The results showed that even when senders tried to put themselves into the receivers’ shoes and take on the receivers’ perspectives, they were not able to move far away from their own perspectives. This led to the inability to convey humor, tone, and other emotions. Through these studies, they realized that most people do not have an awareness of how their messages will be understood even when they were trying to adapt, resulting in communication breakdowns and unclear messages.
(For additional and more in-depth tips on technology protocol, read You Did What? The Biggest Blunders Professionals Make.)