Have you ever received an email message and assumed a certain tone with the message? Or misunderstood the intent of the email due to ambiguous language. It’s easy to fall into that trap and misunderstand the intent of an email. How do you overcome the issue of hearing and feeling tone in written messages?
Eighty-six percent of employees surveyed recently by Preply Survey site using text or email for their communication in the workplace. The survey found that the channel of communication with the highest likelihood of creating misunderstandings is email.
When communicating by email or text you lose the context of the message. You cannot see the facial expressions, hear their tone of voice, or see their body language being used. All these indicators help us understand the communication that is being relayed. All of these factors allow for an appropriate response while keeping our emotions in check.
Avoiding Conflict in Communication
How do we reduce the likelihood of creating a misunderstanding when communicating by email or text messages? Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing to send that message.
- In the heat of the moment, stop and do not send the message. By delaying sending the message, you give your brain a chance to regroup and form a more logical response instead of the gut reaction, which tends to be more emotional. It is sometimes therapeutic to write the initial gut reaction to an email or text. But then walk away, cool off, complete another task, and then revisit the draft again later when your rational brain is in charge and see if you still agree with the message you created. Often, it makes sense to delete the entire message and start over, creating a much better and more civil response.
- If the message is difficult to relay in an email, try to communicate the message in person. While communicating in person is not always convenient it does reduce the likelihood of miscommunicating the message. It also shows an investment in building relationships with employees. Investing your time and energy in face-to-face communication shows intention and a commitment to building relationships. The results are mutual understanding and building trust among your coworkers. Essential outcomes for better communication in the future.
- Reinforce that people have different communication styles that can potentially create conflict. One manager may respond to emails with an in-depth response while another may just respond with an acknowledgement of seeing the email, a simple Ok for example. Others may not respond at all. It doesn’t mean the message was not received, just not reacted to. When employees learn how others communicate on their team, it takes some of the ambiguity out of the communication process. It helps to have an open conversation about communication styles if this is an issue in your organization.
Maintaining Civility
Maintaining professional and civil communications in the workplace is one way to reduce workplace conflict and create an open and engaging environment. Learn to communicate effectively with employees without creating uncomfortable conflict. Civility must remain at the core of our interactions, as it’s the foundation of a respectful and inclusive workplace culture. Creating civil communication in the workplace is about fostering an environment where respect and courtesy are the norm. By prioritizing empathy and understanding, organizations can build a culture where civil discourse thrives, leading to a more collaborative and productive workplace.