How often to you have significant misunderstandings coming out of email communications?
I’ve had a few occasions recently where my intent with an email was completely opposite of the reception. Of course the simple answer is to verbalize if possible, letting the complex combination of verbal and non-verbal cues we use as a culture guide you in true two-way communications.
But what about keeping track of conversational points? In any operation, a record of what happened, with whom an when can be a real asset. How do you walk that line between the flexibility and clarity of verbal communications and the record that email provides?
From Wired:
According to recent research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, I’ve only a 50-50 chance of ascertaining the tone of any e-mail message. The study also shows that people think they’ve correctly interpreted the tone of e-mails they receive 90 percent of the time.
“People in our study were convinced they’ve accurately understood the tone of an e-mail message when in fact their odds are no better than chance,” says Epley.
Charlie
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