Have you ever sent an email to your husband out of frustration about something mundane, only to spend the next half hour typing emails or texting back and forth to battle it out? Yea, me either.
In today’s world, emails and text messages are common forms of communication. With the explosion of smartphones the last 5 years, we are in constant contact with virtually everyone around us – kids, spouses, co-workers, teachers – the list goes on and on. But this is a reminder that sending a text message or email isn’t always the RIGHT way to communicate. Here’s why:
- Tone – It’s hard not to read emotion or tone into an email or text. We all do it. We know the sender of the message so well we can almost hear them speaking the words. But how YOU interpret those words may not, in fact, be the tone the sender meant.
- Context – There are occasions where we type something, then spend the next 5 minutes trying to “clarify” what was typed as to not offend or confuse anyone. Why? Because the words are just that – words on a screen and can be misinterpreted.
- Emotion – It’s MUCH easier to send a snarky text or email to someone without having to look that person in the eye, right?
If you value a relationship, whether business, personal, or otherwise, remember the power of your VOICE. Picking up the phone to call someone means something. I liken it to receiving a hand-written letter or thank you note. With the explosion of digital communication, the art of handwriting is quickly vanishing. So, when someone takes the time to write one, it has an impact. Same goes for a phone call – it can make all the difference.
Miscommunication at its finest
Happy Monday readers.
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