We are in a world where we all communicate with one another via so many different devices, but are we really communicating?
I know I wrote about communication in my previous post, but this is such a multi-faceted subject.
There is etiquette when it comes to communicating with others and this ranges in different circumstances.
When it comes to personal messages, between friends and family, the tone and topics will be different to, say, business messages, where the tone and topics will be more professional (should be always professional), strictly to the point, and with a dash of kindness.
We need to feel safe with each other when we message.
If we give any sort of subtext then it can easily be misinterpreted, especially if we have never met the person on the other side of the phone screen, which is widely the case these days.
Etiquette and empathy are two important qualities that every creative person in the online content world needs to develop and apply at all times.
In the online content writing and editing worlds, it can be so easy to “speak” to each other in brash tones, for want of a better word.
A basic example of this, and something many of us has probably experienced, would be: say you are reading comments made by an editor or someone else in your life, it can be on any online platform, private or professional, and they write back using an exclamation mark in a simple comment that didn’t really need an exclamation if you think about it.
Now of course the exclamation mark is used for emphasis, but it can also be misinterpreted as shouting at the person on the other end.
Some of you might think that people shouldn’t take it so personally or be so sensitive, but, I would suggest, what if it doesn’t have anything to do with taking it personally or being sensitive, what if it has everything to do with courtesy for others and maintaining a level of professionalism?
Now if this person were to speak the comment in person, would they also shout for emphasis? Probably not, and If they do shout, then they could come across as having anger issues or being just plain rude!
This is where etiquette and empathy come in, yes it can be frustrating when someone makes an error, but being aware of our online “voice”, so to say, and how we sound to the other person, makes a huge difference in productivity, feeling safe in the online workspace, and ultimately connection.
Ask yourself: What is your online “voice” and manners like across all the platforms in your life and business? Are there areas where you can brush up on a brash tone and develop your online etiquette and empathy?