Communication Through Email

The fast pace of business and our lives makes communication through email a convenient choice. For the most part, email is very efficient and we can get a lot communicated in a short amount of time by using it. However, the brief nature of emails and the erosion of some of our linguistic skills (enhanced by text messaging) can cause some instant and potentially serious miscommunication. For both personal and professional emails, use these tips to avoid misunderstandings:

If you have to use a smiley face to show you are kidding or mean a comment in good fun, you may want to rethink the statement. If there is a possibility for misunderstanding what you are trying to say, look for a better way to communicate it.
Avoid communication through email when the topic is emotional for you, the other person, or both. Sometimes it pays to take the time to make a call. Fixing a misunderstanding later is more time consuming than a call today.
Realize that not every issue is an emergency that needs to be tended to immediately. Allow yourself to think through what you want to say and articulate it properly. If the other person is waiting for an immediate response, send them a quick note letting them know when you will be able to respond..
Proof read your communication through email before you hit Send. Do this every time, for every email. Sometimes we start to say something one way and change our mind about phrasing mid-way through the sentence. Then Do becomes Don't and all kinds of misunderstandings can occur. Take that extra few seconds to check it over.

Communication through email is efficient, but we often need to take notice of how we are using this valuable communication tool. When we use it frequently (and many of us use it all day every day) it is easy to become lax about it. Always use proper spelling and grammar, avoid abbreviations and write in a professional tone.

Remember, email is far from a private form of communication. Communication through email can easily wind up in the wrong hands. Taking care to be professional and careful in each and every email can save you endless grief (and possible embarrassment) later on. Be brief and concise in your emails, but never to the point of being curt.

Quick sentences can often be interpreted as demanding, such as, do this or don't do that. A few extra words can smooth that completely. For example, can you wait on this until we have a chance to talk or perhaps, go ahead and get this done if you can. It is faster to say it courteously now than to try to repair misunderstandings later on.