In personal and business relationships, a breakdown of communication is usually the culprit of tension. Workplace relationships can quickly turn awry without the mastery of proper business communication techniques. For many employees, email communication is the most used and appreciated. Even though employees now have the opportunity to use social media and teleconferencing, many still chose email as their favorite and most used form of communication. When it comes to email communication in the workplace, there are a few things you’ll want to remember.
- Quick Correspondence
When it comes to business communication, time is of the essence. Be intentional with your correspondence with coworkers and leaders within the company. This also applies to client work as well. Try not to let more than 24 hours go by without some sort of correspondence. Truthfully, most employees receive hundreds of emails on a daily basis. In this case, it can feel really difficult to get through so many emails within a day’s turnaround. However, treat your inbox as if it’s a part-time job. After all, communication is a critical part of your job. Many notable CEOS suggest squeezing it into the top and bottom of each day. These CEOS wake up early in the morning and over a cup of coffee, they’ll read through a significant amount of emails within 30 minutes to a full hour. Once this becomes a consistent daily practice, it’ll be a lot easier to correspond with others in a timely fashion.
- Less is More
Because people lead busy lives and have a lot on their plates, it’s best to be succinct in your email correspondence. Unless it is something that has been detailed in previous conversation, try not to give a laundry list of requests via email. It might be best to pick up the phone and have the conversation instead.
- Subject Lines
When you don’t include a subject line, it is easy for a reader to skip the email or even look at it as spam. Do your best to succinctly summarize what the contents of the email contain.
- Discernment
Oftentimes, it can be very difficult to understand a person’s tone in an email. If you are upset or frustrated with an employee or client, it is best to schedule a face-to-face or phone conversation. Tone can be easily misconstrued and professionals have lost positions due to improper communication through email. Refrain from using capitalization as it can easily read as if you’re yelling. Unless you’re excited about something, it’s also best to watch the amount of exclamation points you use as it can also communicate frustration or anger. Keep in mind that frustration and/or anger are not bad emotions and they are warranted in certain contexts. However, it’s what you do with those emotions and how you communicate them that will directly impact the outcome of said conflict.
Need more suggestions on how to prevent a communication breakdown at your company? Read my article “Five Technology Tools to Improve Your Business.”
