Contrary to what the format suggests, email communication is very sensitive. Your words and all of the space and punctuation between are taken literally and seriously. It is important that you recognize this when using email as a communication tool.
Developed for fast, specific, short-handed written communication, email has evolved into a measure for professionalism and has become a surrogate for actual verbal conversation. This being said, when you write an email, the recipient will often regard the words on-screen the same as your spoken words in a conversation. Fonts and punctuation become important markers for identifying the author's intent. Since we cannot discern emotion or vocal volume/inflection, we must use the words themselves to interpret feeling.
A good example of this is the use of ALL CAPS in an email body or subject. Just the visual appearance of all capital letters sends up a red flag that the writer is upset. Perhaps without intention, the use of all caps sets a negative tone for the email, and puts the reader in a defensive position before she even reads the first word. Similarly, all capitals can suggest a raised voice or a disciplinary stance.
A more subtle instance of implied emotion occurs with punctuation use. A comma is perceived as a pause, professional and thoughtful. A period signifies the end. It may bring closure to a thought, or truncate that thought abruptly. Exclamation points infuse extreme happiness or excitement into your statement, while a question mark implies ignorance about the true answer to the question asked. A dash between words severs a thought mid-way - ellipses (...) require the reader to complete the thought on her own...
Consider the following examples:
As you may notice, each example presents it's own subtle, but unique emotional signature.
Be mindful of your implied tone in emails; not only does your email put your thoughts into words, but it also sets the stage for how those words are interpreted. I recommend reading the email aloud to yourself before hitting "send". Your voice may follow the visual cues, which will allow you the chance to modify the text so that it suits your real intent. You have no control over the reader's actual interpretation, but you can do your best to set the correct tone ahead of time.
Thanks!!
-Kate
Developed for fast, specific, short-handed written communication, email has evolved into a measure for professionalism and has become a surrogate for actual verbal conversation. This being said, when you write an email, the recipient will often regard the words on-screen the same as your spoken words in a conversation. Fonts and punctuation become important markers for identifying the author's intent. Since we cannot discern emotion or vocal volume/inflection, we must use the words themselves to interpret feeling.
A good example of this is the use of ALL CAPS in an email body or subject. Just the visual appearance of all capital letters sends up a red flag that the writer is upset. Perhaps without intention, the use of all caps sets a negative tone for the email, and puts the reader in a defensive position before she even reads the first word. Similarly, all capitals can suggest a raised voice or a disciplinary stance.
A more subtle instance of implied emotion occurs with punctuation use. A comma is perceived as a pause, professional and thoughtful. A period signifies the end. It may bring closure to a thought, or truncate that thought abruptly. Exclamation points infuse extreme happiness or excitement into your statement, while a question mark implies ignorance about the true answer to the question asked. A dash between words severs a thought mid-way - ellipses (...) require the reader to complete the thought on her own...
Consider the following examples:
PLEASE WORK ON THIS TASK.
THANK YOU.
Please work on this task. Thanks!
Please work on this task.
Thank you,
Kate
Please work on this task...
Please work on this task - thanks.
THANK YOU.
Please work on this task. Thanks!
Please work on this task.
Thank you,
Kate
Please work on this task...
Please work on this task - thanks.
As you may notice, each example presents it's own subtle, but unique emotional signature.
Be mindful of your implied tone in emails; not only does your email put your thoughts into words, but it also sets the stage for how those words are interpreted. I recommend reading the email aloud to yourself before hitting "send". Your voice may follow the visual cues, which will allow you the chance to modify the text so that it suits your real intent. You have no control over the reader's actual interpretation, but you can do your best to set the correct tone ahead of time.
Thanks!!
-Kate
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