Do people in your organization often make criticisms of others who are not present in the conversation? Have you wondered why those individuals didn´t go direct and work it out themselves? Have you ever received an email that had one or more of the following?

Lack of subject

• No clear explanation of what to do with the information
• A mass distribution email really only directed to 1 or 2 people
• A message with a tone that made the hair stand up on the back of your neck
• A cryptic message that left you wondering, "What the heck are they talking about ?"

We´ve all been there! Let´s stop the madness. I´ve put together these top ten tips to improve your communication health.

10^th Tip:

If you have a concern or frustration over another individual´s behavior, do not speak to anyone about it except for the person in question. Ask for the person to meet with you face-to-face or by phone. Get your emotions under control and speak using the following format: When (describe event) happened, I felt (describe your emotions) and the impact was (describe impact). Then ask the other person for that same information back from them. Then, suggest you talk about how you´d like to work together in the future, in ways that will be mutually satisfying. Thank the person for talking it out and move on. No one else needs to be part of the conversation. If you do this 3 times with the same person and get no satisfying result, then ask that your respective manager/s assist you both in working through the communication process.

9^th Tip:

If you have a message that contains some critique or concern with someone´s actions, PICK UP THE PHONE or walk over and have a conversation to resolve the issue at hand. The tone of voice in an email can be misinterpreted or exaggerated and you can easily make a small matter explode into hurt feelings or worse. Not only should you never deliver criticism by email, you would therefore never ever copy other people on the email. Just don´t do it!

8thTip:

NEVER send an email without a clear and concise subject line. Also, if you´re sending a file in which you´ve made changes, add your initials (and date, if appropriate) to the file name so that the person receiving it can easily keep track of the versions.

7thTip:

The opening paragraph of your email should clearly state:

-         Purpose of the email

-         Action requested of recipient

-         Due date, if there is one

Don´t make the person wade through the copy to sort out what they need to do with it. Spell it out right upfront.

6thTip:

Avoid using shorthand or sending cryptic messages. Don´t assume the other person knows about the subject the way you do.

5thTip:

Use your manners. Just like any other form of communication, email needs to be respectful. Please remember to use polite language ("please" and "thank you") and to spell check if you struggle with spelling.

4thTip:

When you get ready to copy  people on a message, stop yourself and think hard as to whether those individuals really need to know about it. We all get way too much email and if we don´t need to know, don´t send it.

3rdTip:

When someone sends out a document for review and comments, rather than everyone sending their individual comments via email with copies to everyone on the list, send your comments directly to the person asking for input. That person´s responsibility then becomes to provide a single email that summarizes the feedback by contributor. This will cut down significantly on the number of emails sent and received.

2^nd Tip:

Wherever possible, build bridges with people. Finger pointing when things go wrong only makes the situation worse. Put the problem out in front, work together, side by side, and collaborate on solving it.

1^st Tip:

Choose to be a role model of good communication. Use the workplace as a fertile place to build your skills. Learning how to skilfully manage conversations, especially the courageous ones, is enormously helpful in all aspects of life.