Better communication for today’s business environment

Christine Knott, managing director of Beyond The Box, on how avoiding 'text' confusion

Businesses communicate as never before - with communications such as email and text messaging being immediate and economical, they have quickly overtaken many more traditional forms.

But what are the disadvantages to using this kind of technology?

Look at the process of communication. When we are talking face-to-face with someone we understand what they are saying by:

• watching body language
• understanding the words used
• listening to the way the words are said (pitch, tone, emphasis, pace and inflection)

When we communicate face-to-face, body language counts for 55% of our understanding of communication, words 7%, and the way the words are said 38% of the message.

So what does this mean when we are interpreting written communication?

We cannot see the originator’s body language therefore we cannot pick up on any of the clues body language gives us, neither can we interpret a message by the way it’s being said.

Luckily, something called punctuation was invented so the sender could visually demonstrate emphasis, tone, inflection etc, in the written word. Commas, exclamation marks, brackets, full stops and all those other small but highly effective symbols help us to fill in the blanks left when we are trying to interpret a written message and body language and verbal emotions are not available to assist us.

Thank goodness for punctuation! Great! Except that when people text or email, grammar and punctuation seem to have gone out of the window - which totally changes the meaning of a message.

Notably, that leaves us with 7% of the words. Well no, that’s not the case. How many quickly and carelessly sent texts or emails have left the reader scratching their head in a ball of frustration as they try to second guess what the sender was actually trying to say? Trying to decipher shortened text can add minutes to understanding what the sender means.

The world changes and we should be prepared to change with it and embrace technology, however it’s little wonder that poor communication continues to be blamed in the workplace for reducing the standard customer service as well as causing low morale, and creating misunderstandings and mistakes some of which are very expensive.

We cannot dismiss the benefits email and text messages have brought to communication, but equally they have brought confusion, frustration and costly mistakes, which could drastically be improved by taking time to compose the message carefully, and with thought.

It is the sender’s responsibility to ensure the content of their message has been fully understood.

Christine Knott is the managing director of Beyond The Box, providers in training, field marketing and promotional services.