1. Email and Other Traditional Tools for Business Communication
Chapter 7
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2. Most Effective Communication Channels for Coordinating Work
For nearly two decades, has been the primary written business communication tool. In Table 7.1 , you can see that in a recent study, it ranked second in effectiveness
among communication channels for coordinating work.
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3. Creating Effective Emails
communication is the primary form of written business communication.
Most analysts expect it to be the primary tool for at least the next five to ten years in most companies
communication is the primary form of written business communication. Most analysts expect it to be the primary tool for at least the next five to ten years in most
companies. Writing effective s involves applying principles of writing style discussed in Chapters 5 and 6. It also involves adapting to the unique characteristics of .
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4. Principles of Effective Emails
Use for the right purposes.
Ensure ease of reading.
Show respect for time.
Protect privacy and confidentiality.
In this section, we explain basic principles for using s effectively, including the basic components that ensure ease of reading.
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5. Principles of Effective Emails
Respond promptly.
Maintain professionalism and appropriate formality.
Manage emotion effectively.
Avoid distractions.
Then, we focus on managing emotion and maintaining civility in electronic communications.
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6. Use Email for the Right Purposes
communication has few constraints (low cost, little coordination) and high control (the writer can think them out carefully, and they provide a permanent record)
It is rarely appropriate for sensitive or emotional communication tasks. It is also inefficient for facilitating discussions
communication has few constraints (low cost, little coordination) and high control (the writer can think them out carefully, and they provide a permanent record).
Yet because it is not a rich form of communication, it is rarely appropriate for sensitive or emotional communication tasks. It is also inefficient for facilitating discussions.
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7. Ensure Ease of Reading Provide a Short, Descriptive Subject Line
Keep Your Message Brief Yet Complete
Clearly Identify Expected Actions
Provide a Descriptive Signature Block
Use Attachments Wisely
In all written communication, ensuring ease of reading is critical. It is even more critical in s and other digital messages. Simply put, your readers are unlikely to read
your message unless you make it easy for them. use the following tips to ensure ease of reading in your s.
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8. Less-Effective
Compare the ease of reading in the less-effective and more-effective examples of s in Figures 7.1 and Think about how quickly a reader can process the information.
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9. More-Effective
Compare the ease of reading in the less-effective and more-effective examples of s in Figures 7.1 and Think about how quickly a reader can process the information.
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10. Show Respect for Others’ Time
Select Message Recipients Carefully
Provide Timelines and Options
Be Careful about Using the Priority Flag
Let Others Know When You Will Take Longer than Anticipated to Respond or Take Action
Avoid Contributing to Confusing and Repetitive Chains
In the business world, where time pressures can be overwhelming, you can engender goodwill by writing s that are professional, relevant, easy to read, and other-oriented.
To show your respect for others when sending , consider the following advice:
Select Message Recipients Carefully
Provide Timelines and Options
Be Careful about Using the Priority Flag
Let Others Know When You Will Take Longer than Anticipated to Respond or Take Action
Avoid Contributing to Confusing and Repetitive Chains
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11. Appropriate Response Time to Emails
One recent study of business professionals found that nearly all business professionals expect an response within one day (see Figure 7.3 ). Younger professionals are more likely to expect a response immediately.
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12. Maintain Professionalism and Appropriate Formality
Avoid Indications That You View as Casual Communication
Apply the Same Standards of Spelling, Punctuation, and Formatting You Would for Other Written Documents
Use Greetings and Names
Generally, you are better off erring on the side of too much formality as opposed to too much casualness. Consider the following recommendations.
Avoid Indications That You View as Casual Communication
Apply the Same Standards of Spelling, Punctuation, and Formatting You Would for Other Written Documents
Use Greetings and Names
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13. Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
Neutrality effect
recipients are more likely to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral
Negativity effect
recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as negative
In the absence of face-to-face communications, s tend to elicit either the neutrality effect or the negativity effect. The neutrality effect means that recipients are
more likely to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral. That is, the sender may wish to express enthusiasm about an event, but the receiver decodes
the information without “hearing” the enthusiasm. The negativity effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as negative.
The effects of emotional inaccuracy due to the neutrality and negativity effects can lead to conflict escalation, confusion, and anxiety.
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14. Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
Flames
s or other digital communications with “hostile intentions characterized by words of profanity, obscenity, and insults that inflict harm to a person or an organization
Cyber silence
nonresponse to s and other communications.
People often feel comfortable writing things they would not say in person. In some cases, this sense of online freedom leads to flames, which are s or other digital communications with “hostile intentions characterized by words of profanity, obscenity, and insults that inflict harm to a person or an organization The second aspect of asynchronous electronic communications that can lead to anger and frustration is cyber silence, which is nonresponse to s and other communications.
During the nonresponse stage, message senders often misattribute explanations for the silence. They sometimes wonder if message recipients are purposely avoiding or even ignoring them.
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15. Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
Cyber incivility
violation of respect and consideration in an online environment based on workplace norms
Active, passive
Cyber incivility is the violation of respect and consideration in an online environment based on workplace norms Active incivility involves direct forms of disrespect (i.e., being condescending, demeaning, saying something hurtful). Passive incivility involves indirect forms of disrespect (i.e., using s for time-sensitive messages, not acknowledging receipt of s, not replying to s).
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16. Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
Reinterpretation
involves adjusting your initial perceptions by making more objective, more fact-based, and less personal judgments and evaluations
Relaxation
involves releasing and overcoming anger and frustration so that you can make a more rational and less emotional response.
Reinterpretation involves adjusting your initial perceptions by making more objective, more fact-based, and less personal judgments and evaluations. When
people are distressed, they often make extreme, subjective, and overly personal judgments.
Relaxation involves releasing and overcoming anger and frustration so that you can make a more rational and less emotional response. People use a variety of methods to alleviate the physiological impact of anger, including counting to ten, taking time-outs, engaging in deep breathing, and looking for the humor in the situation
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17. Less-Effective Response to an Angry Email
In the opening case, Jaclyn expressed frustration with a conversation she had with Haniz. Jaclyn, perhaps unwisely, fired off an angry (see the bottom message
in Figure 7.6), and Haniz responded (the top message in Figure 7.6).
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18. Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
Defusing
involves avoiding escalation and removing tension to focus on work objectives.
Defusing involves avoiding escalation and removing tension to focus on work objectives. You can take several steps to defuse the situation when you receive an uncivil .
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19. More-Effective Response to Defuse an Angry Email
is rarely an effective communication channel to air complaints or to discuss emotionally charged issues. Figure 7.7 presents a more effective response from Nancy
to this exchange.
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20. Texting in the Workplace
Texting is a relatively new and undeveloped form of communication in the workplace, and attitudes toward it vary significantly
Many professionals consider texting in the workplace as impersonal, uninteresting, rude, intrusive, or inadequate.
Texting is a relatively new and undeveloped form of communication in the workplace, and attitudes toward it vary significantly. Many professionals consider texting in the workplace as impersonal, uninteresting, rude, intrusive, or inadequate. On the other hand, many professionals associate texting in the workplace with exactly the
opposite qualities: warm and personal, nice, fun, inviting, and helpful. So, texting requires a lot of judgment.
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21. Texting in the Workplace
Use Texts for Simple and Brief Messages, Not for Conversations
Make Sure Your Tone Is Positive, Supportive, and Appropriately Fun
Don’t Ask Questions You Can Get Answers to Yourself
Be Careful about Abbreviated Language, Emoticons, emojis, and Acronyms
As you text with colleagues and other contacts, consider the following tips:
Evaluate the Meta Message of a Text
Use Texts for Simple and Brief Messages, Not for Conversations
Make Sure Your Tone Is Positive, Supportive, and Appropriately Fun
Don’t Ask Questions You Can Get Answers to Yourself
Be Careful about Abbreviated Language, Emoticons, and Acronyms
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22. Texting in the Workplace
Texts can be a particularly effective way to send quick notes of support, congratulations, and appreciation to close colleagues (see Figure 7.8). In Figure 7.9 you will notice how Haniz uses a text to tell Jaclyn the location of a business meal. Haniz uses complete sentences and standard language conventions, while Jaclyn uses abbreviated language
and acronyms.
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23. Texting in the Workplace
Avoid Sarcasm and Jokes in Most Cases
Avoid Rescheduling Meeting Times or Places
Consider Turning Off Sound Alerts for Incoming Texts/ s
Identify Yourself
Clearly End the Texting Exchange
Avoid Personal Texts during Work Hours
Also consider:
Avoid Sarcasm and Jokes in Most Cases
Avoid Rescheduling Meeting Times or Places
Consider Turning Off Sound Alerts for Incoming Texts/ s
Identify Yourself
Clearly End the Texting Exchange
Avoid Personal Texts during Work Hours
Avoid Sending Texts after Work Hours
Establish Rules with Your Colleagues for Texting in Meetings
Manage Your s and Texts to Avoid Distractions
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24. Texting in the Workplace
Texting can be used to prompt team members about topics to cover, give quick updates as needed to team leaders, ask for information from colleagues or clients outside of the meeting, and assist teammates in a variety of ways (see Figure 7.10). Some organizations’ cultures encourage this, whereas others strictly discourage it. So, pay attention to the culture of texting at your company. Of course, even where texting is encouraged in meetings, it can also be abused (see Figure 7.11).
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25. Manage Your Emails and Texts to Avoid Distractions
Check digital messages just two to four times each day at designated times.
Turn off message alerts.
Use rich channels such as face-to-face and phone conversations to accomplish a task completely.
Reply immediately only to urgent messages.
Avoid unnecessarily lengthening an chain.
Use automatic messages to help people know when you’re unavailable.
Consider the following guidelines:
Check digital messages just two to four times each day at designated times.
Turn off message alerts.
Use rich channels such as face-to-face and phone conversations to accomplish a task completely.
Reply immediately only to urgent messages.
Avoid unnecessarily lengthening an chain.
Use automatic messages to help people know when you’re unavailable.
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26. Building Connections with Phone Conversations
Schedule and Plan for Your Phone Calls
Ensure Quality Audio
Open with a Warm Greeting and Use Your Caller’s Name
After Brief Small Chat, Direct the Conversation to the Issues at Hand
Speak with a Pleasant, Enthusiastic Voice
Keep in mind the following guidelines for one-to-one calls in the workplace
Schedule and Plan for Your Phone Calls
Ensure Quality Audio
Open with a Warm Greeting and Use Your Caller’s Name
After Brief Small Chat, Direct the Conversation to the Issues at Hand
Speak with a Pleasant, Enthusiastic Voice
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27. Building Connections with Phone Conversations
Share Conversation Time Equally
Apply the Rules of Active Listening and Avoid Multitasking
Take Notes on Important Points and Summarize Next Steps at the End of the Call
Close with Appreciation
Follow Up on Agreements
Also follow these guidelines:
Share Conversation Time Equally
Apply the Rules of Active Listening and Avoid Multitasking
Take Notes on Important Points and Summarize Next Steps at the End of the Call
Close with Appreciation
Follow Up on Agreements
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28. Sample Meeting Request and Agenda for a Phone Call
Like other forms of business communication, think ahead about your key discussion topics and points. Many phone conversations are much like meetings, so consider sending an invitation with an agenda to your conversation partner (see Figure 7.12 for an example).
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29. Sample Follow-up Message with Action Items
Consider sending a message within a few hours of your call while the conversation is still fresh in your minds (see Figure 7.13 as an example). This dramatically improves the likelihood that you will accomplish your shared objectives.
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30. Participating in and Leading Group Voice and Video Calls
Practice Using the Technology before the Group Call
Use Your Webcam Effectively
Use Interactive Tools Wisely
Start the Call with Purpose and Take Charge
Follow the Guidelines of Effective Virtual Meetings
Many of the tips that we discussed for one-to-one calls apply, as do the guidelines for effective virtual meetings discussed in Chapter 3. In addition, consider the following tips.
Practice Using the Technology before the Group Call
Use Your Webcam Effectively
Use Interactive Tools Wisely
Start the Call with Purpose and Take Charge
Follow the Guidelines of Effective Virtual Meetings
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