Communicate your message acros

Have you ever written emails and realized, in hindsight, that you really hadn’t got the measure of you wanted to communicate, or received a mail that the sender really wasn’t thinking about what you needed to know or hear?

This happens so very often. And more so in a country like India where English is the norm and only low% speak or write fluently. It happened to me. Coming from an advertising background, I had picked up writing the way I speak. That is, candidly. Little knowing that the world outside is still coming to grips with the language of the babus.

This, at best can be frustrating. At worst it is such a huge 'turn off' that it can have a negative effect, or even produce an effect that is the exact opposite of the one you had intended. It can be such a big 'turn off' that it could easily hit your confidence and put you on a slide to failures. Things can change. The new boss may not like you as much a the old boss. You feel overlooked for promotion or even a recognition / raise / blow job at the office party. You feel hemmed in, unfulfilled and frustrated.

Whether you need to communicate general day-to-day information or 'big news' about major projects underway in your organization, the best communications start with some good planning, ego massaging and a little bit of info sharing. Else you are in for trouble, especially if the boss is out to prove a point.

Ok, here it goes. The first step is to put yourself in the shoes of your boss and think how can I fix him. Get around it and the next step is, w does your target need to know, and want to hear? What’s his/her/their preferred way of receiving information? What will stop them listening to what you have to say? And how will you know that they have got the message?

Here are some indicative words [Eg]

• Everyday expressions - Officialese
• more, extra - additional
• stop, end - discontinue
• help - facilitate, assist
• show - indicate
• unfair - inequitable
  

And, here are some example of scales of Tone.

• Everyday tone > got your note, liked it
• Formal yet friendly > Thank you for your mail and the comments you make.
• Official > I acknowledge the receipt of your letter and noted the matters you raised
• Candid Text to colleague > Thx 4 yr txt ;-)

Hint, pick the one your boss like, not you. So, there’s quite a bit more to good communications than writing a good email.

Write With Necessary Caution

I keep getting a lot of suggestions (chain mails) on managing time, space, mind, finances, girlfriends, wives, friends, other-company-management speak etc, etc. Thought, we are missing the most important part. That is writing. Writing mails is part and parcel of our everyday work. We spend hours. When writing, be mindful of the fact that once something is in written form, it cannot be taken back. Communicating in this way is more concrete than verbal communications (or, mentioned in passing), with less room for error and even less room for mistakes. It can also get you into trouble.

Thankfully, today’s software technology makes memo, letter and proposal writing much easier by providing reliable tools that check and even correct misspelled words and incorrect grammar use. Unfortunately, these tools are not fail proof and will require your support, making your knowledge in this area important. Therefore read what you have written before clicking on the Send button.

Over a period of time one develops ‘style’ of writing. This comes from the environment it self. However, the Importance of "Style" remains the most delicate part of writing. As this is where the soul is.

Some of the most basic tips to remember when writing include:

Address clearly and with respect ( even if the bugger has wretched your life, smile when writing, they say it shows)
Avoid the use of slang words
Do NOT write mails candidly. Someone may not be having a good day in office.
Try not to use abbreviations (unless appropriately defined)
Steer away from the use of negatives in the first 2-3 sentences. It is not acceptable. If you disagree do that in the last lines. Take him up the fancy trees and drop him from there, it is called Corporatese, and believe me it is accepted
Clichés should be avoided, or at the very least, used with caution
Brackets are used to play down words or phrases
Dashes and capitals are generally used for emphasis
Numbers should be expressed as words when the number is less than 10 or is used to start a sentence (example: Ten years ago, my brother and I…). The number 10, or anything greater than 10, should be expressed as a figure (example: My brother has 13 Matchbox cars.)
Quotation marks should be placed around any directly quoted speech or text and around titles of publications.
Keep sentences short and
Be politically correct, because like I mentioned in my third sentence, written word cannot be taken back.

While the above tips cover the most common mistakes made when writing mails, memos and reports, they in no way cover everything you need to know to ensure your written communications are accurate and understood.

In the interest of better and more even writing. Next on communication.