What Do Your Posts Say About You?

3 Minute ReadMany of us have taken a course, or maybe two, on how to improve our communication.  But how does technology impact your ability to effectively communicate?  Most people spend up to 7 hours daily using technologies and social media to include email, texting, blogs, Facebook, Linked In, etc. to communicate.  This replaces face-to-face communication in many situations.  We have access to these lines of communication at all times - with Smartphones and other mobile devices. Technology is fantastic because it allows us to communicate fast and stay connected with a broader base of people.  What do your posts, emails, and texts say about you professionally?  Are you being as effective as you can be?

Here are some tips…

• Emoticons are not as cute as you think they are!  Emails, posts, and texts do not have the advantage of non-verbal cues that we typically use in face-to-face communication.  We rely very heavily on these and other cues to interpret meaning.  In the world of technology, we have learned to improvise and use smiley faces and such to convey the intent of our message.  Overuse of these can lead others to question your professionalism.  Know your audience and decide if you should keep the emoticons and extra exclamation points for when you email your best friend!!!!!!!!!!
• If you are considering sending a message in ALL CAPS AND BOLD TO CONVEY YOUR FRUSTRATION…DON’T!  Generally, senders use all caps and bold to let others know that they are not happy.  If you are frustrated or upset with an individual – pick up the phone, schedule a one-on-one and discuss it in person.  Then, lead the conversation with questions with the intent to gain a better understanding.  Work together to find common ground and solutions.
• Proofread – don’t just rely on spell-check. Spell check is a wonderful tool and should always be used.  However, it does not pick up subtle mistakes such as the difference between message and massage.  Hopefully, you are trying to get a message across to someone you work with not a massage.  Remember, autocorrect is not always your friend.
• Choose wisely between reply and reply-all.  It’s an awkward moment when you send a message to an entire email recipient list instead of sending to the one person that you wanted to tell that you didn’t like the boss’ new haircut.  If this has not happened to you, you probably pay attention when hitting “reply” versus “reply all” before you hit send.  Good job!

What do your posts say about you?

Social Media paints a picture of who you are both personally and professionally.  Use social media to your advantage - this is an important way to build your professional network.  On the flip-side, current and potential employers and/or customers may be deterred from connecting with you if your posts reflect statements such as “I hate Mondays” every week.Likely, we have all made one of these communication faux pas one time or another. Most of them occur because we are in a hurry and need to respond quickly.  Take an extra second to review what you wrote to ensure that the intent of your message is accurately conveyed and to avoid these common mistakes.Happy Communicating!More on how technology has changed the workplace can be found here!While we're talking bout social media, let's talk about your phone.