From the course: Business Etiquette for Gen Z

Select appropriate communication mediums

From the course: Business Etiquette for Gen Z

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Select appropriate communication mediums

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- There are many different ways you can reach your colleagues today. Text, direct messages, emails, audio or video calls, or in-person conversations. But how do you know what method of communication to choose? Here are some key questions to ask yourself so that you choose the right medium. Does this conversation need to be confidential? When possible, have confidential conversations in person? If it has to be virtual, make sure that it is not being recorded and that others are not with an earshot. What do I need to communicate? Is it facts such as who, what, when, where, or why? If you're communicating facts or direction to an individual or a group, email works well. People can refer back to it later as needed. However, if what you need to communicate is more nuanced or sensitive, a private message or conversation may be needed. I once sat on the board of a nonprofit and the executive director emailed me and my fellow board members to let us know that one of the officers had left along with who to contact instead. However, he knew that we needed to know what had happened. So afterwards, the ED called each one of us privately to explain the issue with the officer and the path forward. This way, the sensitive info wouldn't leak like it could have over email. Which leads into the third question, how quickly do I need a response? In my former ED'S case, he sent an email for immediacy because next steps had to be acted on quickly for email. The general rule is to respond or expect a response within 24 hours at most. But of course, consider what's the norm for your company. If you truly need something more quickly, text is fine or an instant message over your team's messaging software. And if it's not the norm at your workplace, use text sparingly to be considerate of others' time and attention. How lengthy is your message? It's hard to read long texts. So if you find yourself writing paragraphs, an email will work better. If you need an unusably quick response to the email though, you can text or message your colleague to give them a heads up that the email is on the way. Lastly, will this require a lot of back and forth? If the tone of the emails or texts are getting strained or there seems to be confusion. At that point, it's best to pick up the phone or hop on a video call to resolve the situation. You'll be respecting your team's time and allow you and them to get things done efficiently. With these five questions, you can quickly decide the best option to effectively communicate in your workplace.

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