Effective Communication Skills
BAN INTER-DEPARTMENT EMAIL NOW!!!
Without speaking to any of the people concerned last week, I learned that:
• My brother had lost his last 35,000 bhats in an ill-judged midnight swim in Kho Samui
• My cousin had eaten bran flakes for breakfast all week
• My friend had given birth to a baby grill
This is all well and good.
• I mean, I was delighted to know that Billy had chosen me to bail him out (or ‘Birry’ as he now refers to himself on Facebook, on account of being in Thailand);
• I’m glad my cousin is getting some daily fibre, it’s important;
• And although I suspect my friend’s husband might have meant girl, I’ll take her some steak when I visit, just on the off chance…
The age of email, texting and social media sites means that we no longer have to see or speak to anyone to know what’s going on in their lives.
Whilst keeping up with friends and relatives online undoubtedly has its plusses …in business, managing by email can often do more harm than good. And slow things down. Considerably.
Here’s why:
1.) Written words can be misconstrued. Try this. Say ‘I didn’t say she stole the money’ 7 times, each time putting emphasis on a different word in the sentence. It changes the meaning every time. Recipients of your emails cannot detect your intended intonation and may therefore misinterpret your meaning.
2.) When you use red, bold, underlining, CAPITAL LETTERS or exclamation marks, in an attempt to convey importance, irreverence or urgency, recipients will invariably read this as ANGER!!! And will react accordingly.
3.) People get so many emails these days that they can miss the fact that you want them to do something as a result of yours. So you have to send them another one.
4.) Unless you are very, very clear, people may take the wrong action as a result of your email request. This requires a series of additional email exchanges to put things right.
As a manager, effective communication skills are a must. If you want to improve yours, think before you email.
Would it not be quicker and more efficient to pick up the phone or go and talk to the person – especially if they are in the same building?
If you think this makes sense but need some help to prise your colleagues away from the keyboard and get them talking, have a look at our team skills or communication skills courses.
Or EMAIL US!!! We understand how you feel so we won’t be angry.
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