Inter-Office Business Communication
- Friday, October 7, 2011
Recently there was a ripple in the universe at a little high school in Toledo, Ohio. The principal, a seasoned mathematics teacher known for his congenial manner with staff and students alike, decided to address a growing problem. The issue was not with students in his high school, but with emails exchanged between staff members.
It had all started with an email response to a question. It was simply rushed, no time for pleasantries, just the facts ma’am. Or “terse” as the other party saw it. The “terse” response was returned in kind and noted as “pointed” by the receiver. What began as a simple question from one staff member to another turned into icy hostilities that tainted the normally pleasant atmosphere in the administrative department hallways. By the time all the adjectives were sorted out, the original question in the first email was long forgotten.
It was obvious to the principal that the problem had been the manner of communication and how it was used. Being the thinker and problem solver that he is, the principal dug up some business correspondence models from 1975. He printed out some of his staffs’ emails and did a comparison of components. He noted that the 1975 business correspondence was broken up into three parts: identify the subject in an introductory paragraph, provide the information needed in the body of the letter, and write a closing paragraph.
What was glaringly different between 2011 emails and the 1975 business letters was simply the way they were ended. The 1975 correspondence always had a respectful closing paragraph. The content of this paragraph was a type of personal signature devised by the writer, the sole purpose of which was to end the communication on a friendly note. It provided the tone of the letter. The content varied from writer to writer but usually thanked the receiver for their help or expertise, or simply wished them well.
He took this to the next staff meeting. The principal pointed out that emails do not convey facial expressions, that their tone can be interpreted in different ways depending on how the receiver or sender is feeling at the moment they hurriedly dash off a few sentences and hit “send.” He advised his staff to take the lead in heading off future problems caused by haste or inattentiveness to business courtesies. His suggestion was simple: make the effort to leave one’s chair, walk down the hall, and talk face to face.
--Deb Davidson
Associate, E. Sue Huff & AssociatesLabels: business communication, business emails, office politics
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