Lost in Translation

Challenges of Digital Communication

Tone, body language, facial gestures, and personality can be easily lost in written communication. 

Have you ever read an email or message and wondered: 
Are they mad? 
Do they care? 
Do they have any idea what I’m going through? 
How can they expect me to understand this?

The reality is, life is only getting more digital, and our ability to lead is directly impacted by our ability to communicate both verbally AND in writing. 

So what can you do to ensure your written communications are working in your favour?

1. Be CLEAR - Ambiguity is the killer of effective communication. It turns on our internal dialogue and stops us from listening or absorbing what is actually being said or written. Read your text out loud and take your time.
2. Give Specific Directions - What do you want? Be specific, and don’t ever assume someone knows what you want. They cannot read your mind. 
   
3. Be Concise - No one wants to read an unnecessarily long message. The longer it goes, the less reading actually happens. Keep it concise. Time is precious. 
   
4. Empathy is EVERYTHING - Always make a point to lead with empathy. Put yourself in their shoes, and then ask for confirmation that you understand what they are going through, need and feel. The more the other person feels heard and understood, the more open they will be to the rest of the conversation.   

These four simple steps can massively improve your written communication and help you genuinely connect with your reader. 

Bonus Tip: Use the newbie test - if you were sending this to a brand new team member on their very first day, would they understand it, feel empowered by it, and be able to list exactly what you are asking of them?  

Let me know if you found this helpful!