Do you wish there were days when your employees were doing a better job of communicating with you, each other and your customers?
Communication plays a big role in our business success. Whether it’s asking customers the right questions or effectively getting our point across in a meeting, or even posting to social media, very often our success depends on how well we’re communicating with others.
In my opinion, email can be a tool that is often misused or even abused, causing mayhem in the workplace. I once was asked by an organization to train their employees on proper communications, especially email, because as one of the managers stated: “there are too many wars going on via email.”
So here’s my simple advice on using email as an effective communications tool:
- Is email the right tool for this communication? Email is very effective for simple requests, confirming meetings, and following up with information after a phone call or meeting.
- If you can’t explain whatever you’re emailing about in 3 or 4 sentences, you probably need to pick up the phone or walk down the hall to talk to the recipient.
- Read your email before pressing send. Check your spelling, grammar and most importantly, the tone of your message. Is there any chance it could be incorrectly interpreted by the recipient?
- Think about whether it’s really necessary to “reply all” on a message. Very often, the answer is no.
- Finally, think about “why” you are sending the email and whether an electronic communication is the best way to convey information. Let’s be honest; sometimes people use email to avoid a much-needed personal conversation.
Could your organization use some help on effective business communications? I’d love to hear from you.
-Sue Voyles
