The Digital Communication Challenge

Digital communications have changed the way people convey information. Email is fast, free and easy, and texting can save time when it comes to quick questions, updates and appointment confirmations. However, though email and texting are vital modern communication mediums, each comes with its own set of problems that often outweigh their benefits.

Emails can be so long that the point is buried, and texts can be so brief that they make little to no sense. For all the time texting and emails are supposed to save, using them inefficiently leads to tons of wasted energy.

TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE
You are very busy and it’s almost time for lunch and you should just send John a quick text before… Wait! Stop. Don’t just type out something and hit send. First, think about the reason you’re writing. What’s the main point of what you want to say? Remembering the core reason you’re sending a message will help the wording stay focused.

TEXTS SHOULD BE BRIEF, YET INCLUDE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE SENSE
Texting is quick and convenient, but often texts are written so quickly that they don’t make sense or have enough information. The best thing you can do to become a better texter is to read messages before you hit the send button. Autocorrect often rewrites words, so taking a second to proofread will save time later if you don’t have to rewrite a conversation explaining what you meant by “I will arrive shirtless” instead of “I will arrive shortly.”

DON'T LEAN ON ABBREVIATIONS
Texting has led to its own insider language of abbreviations — ykwim? Texting abbreviations, emoticons and emojis are fine for friends, but they don’t really work in a business environment. Leave the "lols" to your bffs and stick to business language if you need to send a text to someone you work with.

DOUBLE CHECK YOUR TONE
Texting is brief – which is the whole point – but sometimes brevity can sound like rudeness. Because texts are short, it’s easy to sound harsh. Writing in complete sentences is a simple way to avoid sounding abrupt.

MOST EMAILS SHOULD BE THREE SENTENCES OR LESS
Writing well is hard, especially when you’re doing lots of tasks at once and just need to fire off a quick message. It’s easy to flood the keyboard with your thoughts, click send, and assume the recipient will understand. Instead, work on being succinct. Challenge yourself to write every email with three sentences or less.