Simple actions often speak the loudest

Writing is one of the main ways in which we communicate in the workplace. A survey by www.Radicati.com estimated that in 2014 we will send over 190 billion emails worldwide PER DAY.  With 7.1 billion people on the Earth that is an average of 27 emails sent per person per day. Of course not everyone in the world sends emails but even if they did, 27 emails to read a day would still be pretty hefty given our already manic schedules.  This does not include the amount of endless chatter available through social networking and the Internet as a whole.

Last week I had a conversation with my friend/old colleague about the difficulties she was having in communicating with her boss. She works in the IT field and her role requires her to be very detailed focused. Luckily, she has a project management approach and so she is very capable at her job and is highly respected.

Unfortunately, the issues my friend was having were not related to her ability to perform well in her role, she was having problems with her written communication.  Due to the nature of her job, her writing style is very thorough, ensuring that everything she does is explained in detail and that no stone is left unturned. This is a wonderful quality to have and many workplaces would pay bucket loads to acquire an employee with such great attention to detail. Sadly, in our fast paced world we often do not have time for detail, most people want quick and easy information that they can act upon instantly. The result, my friend feels unheard and demotivated.

She asked my advice.

My motto is to be short and snappy; if people want more information they will ask you for it.

My 5 top tips:

• Use bullet points where possible
• Start your mail with the top 3 main points (5 if really necessary) – most people can only absorb 5 main points at any time so this will ensure your topics are memorable 
• If you want to write lengthier essays about a topic, attach them in a separate email; this gives people the choice to read in more detail if they wish
• Write for your audience – if you are writing for a senior exec who has little time to eat never mind read 500 emails a day, get to the point and fast
• Use the subject line to ask the main question you require an answer too – It will prep your audience for your mail and ensure you get the answer you need

When we are writing for others sometimes we forget that we are writing for them and not for ourselves. Keeping information tailored to your readers’ needs and not your own desires to show that you have covered all of the details is what will ensure your message is heard.