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Improving your communication in an e-mail world

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Jennifer Hooks
  • 305th Medical Group command chief
JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST --  Studies show that in conventional communication, 55 percent of what we learn or perceive from other people comes from their body language; 38 percent comes from the tone of their voice; and only 7 percent is derived from their actual words.

Improving poor communication is one of the most challenging problems in the workplace. The truth is: How you say something is more important than what you say? But in the age of e-mail, these visual and aural nuances are no longer available.

Do you or your employees spend a significant amount of time communicating via e-mail or Instant Messenger -- even when you can get up and walk over to the other person's desk? Why should this matter? Sometimes e-mail can be misunderstood and cause confusion. If you have to e-mail back to clarify, you may be wasting time and adding the frustration of waiting for the e-mail reply.

Therefore, it's important to make sure you're conveying the right message in electronic communication. Here are the skills you need to send the right tone and meaning in your messages, improve customer service and improve your professional reputation online: 

Backtrack key words and phrases. Try repeating some of the more important words and phrases the sender used. For example, if the sender says, "I feel strongly about this matter," you can acknowledge in your reply that you, too, "feel strongly" about it. 

Use sensory language. Research shows most people naturally use words that relate to their senses of seeing (focus, illuminate, look, see), hearing (sound, tell, quiet, listen) and feeling (impact, touch, grasp, solid). The same is true in business communication. By using the same type of sensory language as the person you are communicating with, you add a dynamic, compelling and rapport-building quality to the messages you send. 

Compose GREAT e-mails. Read each e-mail you compose to see if it passes the GREAT test: 
Goal: Have I specified the e-mail's purpose?
Relevant facts: Have I provided enough information?
Emotional tone: What mood have I set for this e-mail?
Action: Have I made a specific request?
Time: Have I requested a timeframe for reply? 

E-mails are the new way of life; however, personal contact is important -- and not just to
avoid misunderstandings. You may be thinking ...Why improve my interpersonal skills when most businesses do 99 percent of communication via telephone, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, e-mail, and on rare occasions, snail mail? A popular way of thinking today, but is it really the correct way? 

People relate to one another better face-to-face. You can have eye contact, read each other's body language and feel the energy the connection creates. Don't take my word for it -- Let's take a look at what some of the experts are saying. 

Tom Peters, an internationally known business guru, said, without reservation, you should constantly attend to your face-to-face communication. Not to do so will lead to career disaster. "We believe in high-tech, high-touch," Mr. Peters wrote. "No question, technology is the great enabler. But, paradoxically, now the human bit is more, not less, important than ever before." 

Sheila Hodge, author of "Global Smarts: The Art of Communicating and Deal Making Anywhere in the World," said, "The modern office is full of gadgets -- computers and the Internet, uplinks and downlinks, videoconferencing, and online databases. Many people think they should let the fancy technology handle the messy task of interfacing with people." 

One of my favorite quotes is stated simply by Margaret Wheatley, author of "Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope for the Future": "I can believe we can change the world if we start talking to one another again." 

So the next time you decide to e-mail your co-worker who is sitting in the next cubicle, instead, take time to meet face-to-face. Anytime you need to communicate at work, meet in person and see the difference it makes.