\u201cEvery human will frustrate, anger, annoy, madden and disappoint us,\u201d writes philosopher Alain de Botton. \u201cAnd we will (without any malice) do the same to them.\u201d Yes, undeniably that\u2019s us, the human beings. But dear communication warriors, we are not only here in the digital world rather we have taken a giant leap in the metaverse, already. And we just cannot carry ourselves as emotional communicators, conducing miscommunication. We have this, the most powerful weapon of all time, The Digital Communication itself.<\/p>\n
Sio Bibble, the outspoken governor of Naboo from Star Wars says- \u201cA communications disruption could mean only one thing. Invasion.\u201d Effective digital communication depends on our ability to talk about emotions without being a pinch emotional. We often react to one another based on our social media posts; we never bother to look at them more carefully.<\/p>\n
We overestimate how easy it is for someone to figure out exactly what we\u2019re trying to communicate. To show this, in 1990 psychologist Elizabeth Newton conducted an experiment with a simple game, in which she assigned people to one of two roles: \u201ctapper\u201d or \u201clistener.\u201d Each tapper was asked to pick a well-known song, such as \u201cHappy Birthday, Baa Baa Black Sheep\u201d and tap out the rhythm on a table. They were then asked to guess what percentage of listeners would be able to guess the song they had tapped. The tappers estimated that on average 50 percent of the listeners would guess the song they were listening to. Participants who listened to their tapping could only guess 2.5 percent of the songs. The three hits in 120 tries that the listeners correctly guessed, was outside the entire range of the tappers\u2019 estimates. The results of Newton\u2019s study illustrate how bad we humans are at predicting what is going on in another\u2019s head and understanding how others interpret our intentions when we know something that they do not.<\/p>\n
In the business communication world, managers and employees, marketers and customers, corporate headquarters, and the front line, all rely on ongoing communication but suffer from enormous information imbalances, just like the tappers and listeners.<\/p>\n
Let alone in the business, in digital communication, similar disconnects happen when we write to communicate. \u201cThe single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place,\u201d writes Geroge Bernard Shaw.<\/p>\n
Digital miscommunication happens because we don\u2019t have access to the non-verbal cues, including tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions, that give you valuable emotional context when you\u2019re discussing in person. So, comes the question, how can we prevent them? Here are some DOs and DONTs to prevent digital miscommunication at work.<\/p>\n
Use emoticons please & make them look normal- These tiny little expression bubbles can help us express tone, meaning, and emotional cues. An outpouring of emojis, especially when you don\u2019t know the other person well, can undermine your professionalism. As a rule of thumb, one emoji per email or WhatsApp message is appropriate, unless it\u2019s the very first time you\u2019re communicating with this person, in which case, it\u2019s better to leave them out.<\/p>\n
Avoid making typos- that\u2019s an error 404 – Yes typos reveal that we were in a rush or heightened emotional state when we hit send (or that we\u2019re the boss, and don\u2019t need to care about typos). It\u2019s best to spend two extra minutes proofreading your work, or better yet, read it out loud to catch any typos your eyes quickly skip over when reading it in your head.<\/p>\n
Please re-read before hitting the send button- Always re-read what you\u2019ve written before hitting send to make sure your message is clear and conveys the intended tone. It\u2019s easy for one-line emails or WhatsApp messages to be perceived as passive-aggressive in tone.<\/p>\n
Punctuation marks matter more than you being punctual- Don\u2019t try to be a punk \u201cbro\u201d, ignoring punctuations. Adding a period adds finality to your statement and heightens the negative emotion. As you get to know someone, pay attention to their punctuation style. You may find there are people you work with who always add periods after the word okay, and so you can stop over analyzing their punctuation.<\/p>\n
Use WhatsApp over messenger- We\u2019re most likely to interpret ambiguity as negative when we\u2019re texting or emailing with people we don\u2019t know well or with more senior colleagues.<\/p>\n
Leave the \u201cTo:\u201d field blank until you\u2019re ready to hit send- Don\u2019t panic: If an email makes you enraged, anxious, or euphoric, wait until the next morning to write back. When you do reply, re-read your draft through the other person\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
Answer empathetically to your potential customer\u2019s Facebook comments- Make sure you play a good role while replying to any comment. Try to get into their shoes and try understanding their reason or needs.<\/p>\n
Excess Communication- One of the leading causes of digital miscommunication in business can be attributed to excess communication. When information is sent in multiple messages over a long period, or important information is buried in a long message, the key takeaways can be easily missed. This can result in miscommunication later in the process, which can have a disastrous effect on a product or service.<\/p>\n
Use words to sketch mental pictures- Finding the right balance between communicating and excess communicating can be tough. But, effective communication is all we need at this time a relentless wave of the information age. Use words to sketch mental pictures, convey ideas and tell stories. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to choose words that will help people understand what you\u2019re trying to say rather than words that are confusing or distracting. To get your point across, consider replacing jargon, idioms, and obscure metaphors with short, commonly used words and direct explanations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there was more attention paid to clear writing and communication,\u201d says famous psychologist and author of The Language Instincts, Steven Pinker, \u201cwe could improve the efficiency of the business, education, government \u2014 and the frustrations of everyday life.\u201d
\nUltimately, clarifying your message to others can help you be happier and more successful in life and at work, especially when you consider the alternative: miscommunication.<\/p>\n
-Written By GIASH SHAHEEN
\n<\/strong><\/em>Rebellious Advertising Professional
\nfacebook.com\/copybrobd<\/p>\n\n