A recent Denver Post article touches on a subject I've been grappling with for several years. It boggles my mind that people think an e-mail, text or tweet has tone. It's true. What we write and post in some fashion on the Internet, has a tone. Once we make peace with this concept it's important to consider this fact, every time we communicate with anyone. By now, I hope you've realized the Internet, and social media, is here and a force to be reckoned with. The article provides some good tips for better communication.
Use e-mail for:
- Requesting or exchanging essential information
- Communicating globally and in any time zone,
- When you want to have a searchable record
- When you need to attach photos, links, maps, supporting documents, charts, etc.
Talk face-to-face:
- When delivering bad news
- When dealing with personal issues
- Regarding financial matters
- When the topic is intimate or confidential
- About relationship issues, such as breaking up
Use the telephone (or talk face-to-face) when:
- Negotiating
- Detailed explanation is needed
- An immediate decision is needed
- An e-mail chain has gotten long, complicated or emotional
Remember, when something is tweeted, posted in a blog, or written in a status update, people read it from their own perspective. When you are speaking with someone face-to-face, you can see how they react and perform some damage control if necessary.
It's very important to think about the best way to convey your message, before the fact. Remember, once the words are spoken, or written and posted on the Internet, you can never take them back. The best advice I can give is: Think Before You Communicate! Read the article to get some other good tips.
