What does email do for you?

Of the dozens of emails you send everyday, do you view them as tasks to remove from your list or as touch points in developing quality relationships with others committed to a common goal?

Like breathing or anything else that we overlook because it's part of the background, communicating is not an autonomic function that takes care of itself without conscious effort. I elevate email here because we use it so readily whether the situation calls for it or not.

I'm pretty sure I'm not stepping too far out a limb by assuming that everyone has received an ill-prepared email at one point or another. Thinking back on this message, did it appear as a thoughtfully crafted message or a quick zinger to get out of the way before moving on? The latter rarely achieves the sender's intentions unless it was to simply eliminate that task from his/her checklist and move on.

Below you'll find three of the most common uses of email that can cause more harm than good. Of course, there are others so feel free to broaden the discussion by sharing those you have encountered.

1) Sharing disturbing, disappointing, or shocking news without first reaching out by phone or in person can damage a relationship, requiring more time and effort to repair afterward. In the past, letters have served us well by delivering difficult messages in a personal way, but email is not a substitution for personal outreach. Now that's not to say that following up with documentation isn't important in certain situations, but as a general rule, a person you value should receive fair warning before stumbling upon a stink bomb from you.

2) Formal announcements are too often communicated only by email without the sender confirming that the message is received. Email should definitely be part of the communications campaign but not the only channel. A central online destination, such as an intranet or internal social media platform is the best place for this information to reside and can also be leveraged [along with email] in dashboard notifications. No matter the delivery method, recipients may not fully understand the message so provide a contact name, number and encourage them to use it before acknowledging acceptance.

3) In general terms, sending a formally-written email when the situation doesn't call for it can escalate a tense situation or elevate the recipient's fear when the future or the sender's intent is uncertain. After all, formal and conversational styles are both professional. To this point, always consider the recipients point of view no matter the message. Whether following up with feedback on work presented or discussed, documenting next steps for a project or in clarifying or summarizing a verbal conversation, use email as an extension of you rather than one step removed.

Without the assistance of voice intonation and physical expression, word choice and how we frame the communication are critical to conveying our intent to others. Just as important is honoring their response to build on the constructive groundwork already in place.

The Medium is Just as Important as the Message

Only a handful of people "get me" in conversations and vice versa, no matter the setting. For the few that do, I don't have to be strategic in my interactions - whether interacting on Facebook (or other social media), or by email, phone, or in person - because it comes naturally. For the rest of my social universe, it's absolutely critical that I consider how my message and intent will be interpreted.

After two decades of working in human resources and marketing communications, I continue to learn from others and my own missteps in communicating effectively across organizational hierarchies, cultures, personalities, disciplines, roles, and markets. It's worth noting that this list grows everyday. And, to that point, I'm finding that actually connecting with others, through the panoply of interactive options available to us, requires a refresher in the fundamentals of interpersonal exchange.

Over the next few weeks, I'll share insights from my research on organizational and personal communications that demonstrates how quickly we can gain or lose trust simply through our words and by the medium we choose to express them. The key to this point is whether your daily interactions are driven by habitual convenience or thoughtful consideration.

Do you add or subtract value in writing?

The written word carries a lasting significance beyond the spoken word. And understandably so. Today, a message of any kind can be easily interpreted, reproduced and distributed in the blink of an eye. Global boundaries to business and socialization no longer exist in the information age, only context and voice – in our writing and communication across cultures. This blog examines the art of extending meaningful conversations beyond the verbal experience to strengthen relationships in the written interactions we often take for granted.