Be Conscious of what you communicate
by Carl Massy: Well it’s an reminder really to use in this crazy little era we live in with text messages, emails, instant messaging and a bazillion forms of social media.
When we communicate with someone ‘face-to-face’ (like in the old days ;-)) we pick up the person’s body language, facial cues, and a
whole number of subtle signals identified at a subconscious level. This allows us to put what a person says to us, into context. For instance someone might say something that is a bit blunt (I am guilty!), but because you can see and sense that they come from a place of care and compassion and good intentions; you can take the message well.
The problem with a lot of texting, emailing and instant messaging is that you don’t see all the non-verbal signals, so it is VERY EASY to misconstrue a message, and think it is a personal attack or something negative directed at you. It is so easy to misinterpret messages in this way. Maybe someone was smiling or caring when they sent the message but all you got was a bunch of words, that you decided meant something very different.
So my tip is – conscious of the messages you are sending. I also suggest that:
1. For the important stuff you try to make it face-to-face
2. Before you flip out over a message you got (text, email, etc.) find out what the context of the message was. It may have been very innocent.
3. Be as clear as possible in your communication to others when sending messages. A message that you think is saving you time (seconds) with its brevity, might actually cause you days of patch up work because you were not clear and offended someone.
That is all from me. But what is your take on the whole non-verbal ‘messaging’ thing these days? Any horror stories? 😉
Email: carl@carlmassy.com
