Artisan Creative is celebrating 20+ years in staffing and recruitment of creative professionals. Over the years we have learned a thing or two that we’d like to share with you. We hope you enjoy the 413th issue of our weekly a.blog.
Do you get confused reading certain emails because you can’t decipher the writer’s tone? Have you ever been surprised at how different a personcan sound depending on whether they’re using the phone or speaking face to face? Have members of your team asked you to clarify a memo or email when youthought you were 100% clear?
Well, you could be caught in that trap of digital miscommunication.
As we have embraced globalization, virtual offices, and meetings conducted via Zoom, or chatted using Slack, we have had to rapidly adapt to new forms of communication. “The medium is the message,” as futurist Marshall McLuhan wrote, and the nonverbal cues we use in person don’t always translate via this new medium.
Communicating clearly through any method is an essential requirement for any career advancement, your team’s success or developing interpersonal skills. It’s often a process of trial and error, and here are a few general rules that will help avoid costly misunderstandings.
Clear, concise communication is a strength and one that all job descriptions ask for. For some it comes naturally, for others the following tips can be beneficial:
Write like you talk
Avoid confusing jargon and ensure that your point gets across in the simplest possible manner.
For practice, read your emails aloud before you send them. As you get used to editing yourself, you will sharpen your thinking as well.
Keep it simple
If you write and speak clearly you will earn the respect of your colleagues by saving their patience and time.
If you’re a long-winded writer, run your text through Readability Score to make it more concise before you hit “send.”
Be present
As you keep your message simple and brief, make sure you don’t leave your colleagues guessing about essential information. Your colleagues and communications deserve your full attention. A simple mindfulness meditation practice can train you to focus on what’s in front of you right now and in turn tune out what’s not currently important.
Be Empathetic
The Harvard Business Review suggests professional empathy as a way to disarm potential misunderstandings. When you connect with another person, no matter what the medium, try to see things from that person’s perspective and interpret the world through a language that person uses and best understands.
This isn’t just for salespeople and therapists; active listening can help anyone establish more meaningful and effective connections and reduce team friction.
Ask Questions
If you are unclear, asking direct questions will get better results than making assumptions and pretending you know more than you do.
Asking the right questions gives you a chance to learn how other people communicate and think. As a result, your own communication will become much more effective when you understand how your colleagues approach their work.
Asking questions conveys curiosity and enthusiasm which indicates active participation in the world around you. When you think the conversation is almost over, asking one more question can yield a key insight.
Communicate Visually
Along with asking questions and adapting to your audience (or “reading the room,” as comedians call it), Supervisor Essentials suggests that you learn to communicate your ideas visually. Digital communication is growing increasingly visual, and there are many new tools that will enhance the experience for all, from infographics to animated gifs.
Studies suggest that 65% of us are visual learners. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a designer, you’ll be better equipped to get through to your visually inclined colleagues if you can master the basics of visual communication. It can also help you make those (at times) rather dull web conferences more useful and engaging.
At Artisan Creative, we help creative professionals connect with clients and opportunities, and we know that effective communication is the essence of a good connection. As you build your communication skills and become fluent in the language of business, we can provide resources for growth, put you in touch with industry leaders, and help you build a career you’ll love. Get in touch today to learn more.