Member-only story
Writing Clearly is the New Empathy
Writing well and, above all, consciously is a critical mark of respect. Period. (And no, I’m not angry with you.)
Misunderstandings are rampant in today’s virtual workplaces. And while poor communication habits may feel inevitable with colleagues, it can often come at the cost of a team’s potential to succeed. We should always strive to engage with clarity and empathy, especially as we come to rely more on remote work and digital communication. A good first step to improving our habits and becoming better team members? Re-learning what it means to read carefully and write clearly.
Digital reading and writing skills are critical for anyone who wants to develop and maintain strong relationships with their colleagues, both current and prospective. Truly listening to people’s thoughts and concerns and responding accordingly is what makes for a cohesive workplace. Since most of us communicate most of the time with our thumbs, we need new rules of thumb to help us become better readers and communicators.
Brevity: Don’t Rush to Provide an Answer!
When we slip into sending thoughtless responses to our colleagues, our teams suffer from it.
Brevity from the upper echelons of power isn’t exactly uncommon. Sloppy texts…
