If you’ve read my posts over the years, you know that I write on Sundays most of the time. It is a good day for this routine part of my life when I take intentional time to learn and share thoughts about almost any topic. What you may not know is that I also write on Fridays. Almost every Friday morning, I write a status and reflection for the week. I don’t particularly love writing and it isn’t a passion of mine, but I believe that writing is an important tool that can help us in work and in life. If you don’t write once a week, I’d suggest that you find some time to do it. Some people use a journal and write more often than once a week. When I write, it is normally for a specific purpose or objective
The reason(s)
It amazes me that some years ago, we had phones that didn’t have caller ID. They were hung on a wall and tethered by wires. When the phone rang, you didn’t know who it was, and you picked up and said ‘hello’ or if you lived in Italy, ‘pronto.’ Today, I feel like the unspoken rule is to text before you call. I have to text someone, give them an opportunity to send me a note back, and ask them if it’s okay if I call them. What the heck is that? There are all these new unspoken rules about communication. Some people speak with video on, and some people refuse video. For email, something that was supposedly going away many years ago, there are all sorts of nuances. Some people don’t answer email. Some people will answer every message. It’s a communication conundrum!
In business, it’s easy to make a lot of assumptions when it comes to communication or lack thereof. Meaning, if I sent a message and someone didn’t send me something back, there could be a few positions:
- I got it, and we are okay.
- I got it, and we are not okay (but I am not replying to you).
- I got it, we are okay, and I am replying.
- I never got it (or I am not telling you that I got it).
The list goes on and on, but with email, if I sent it, I can prove at least that part.
With text messages, they are gone unless a three-letter agency needs them. (Can’t rely on text messages as proof unless you copy them)
Regardless of what anyone says, unless you have proof that you wrote something even in this digital world, the burden of proof is still on you. Some people save text messages, but that is challenging. If that is the only mode of communication, it makes sense.
Video calls or phone calls that aren’t recorded just show a timestamp.
What has worked consistently over the years all the way up to now, is email.
This is why every week, I write at least one email at the end of the week to highlight and summarize. If I am in a position where I need to review my work for end-of-year or mid-year reviews, I can audit all of the emails and build a timeline from these.
If someone says I didn’t do something, this can be easily resolved.
What does the email look like?
Status XX-202x
BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front
We have some risk on topic a, I need your attention, we need to think more on topic c. I have added my perspective and facts. This is time sensitive and needs to be addressed by xx date.
Important note: Please pay close attention to bullet 3 as this is something that we need to make a decision for quickly.
- Topic a
- Topic b
- Topic c
Reflection or Opinion: I don’t know how we are going to achieve topic a, I think we need to regroup there and I have a lot of work done on topic c, I think we should go ahead and do x with it. Please find more information on c here at this linkxxxx.
Summary:
Overall this is what is happening..
Happy Friday
A few months later
Over time, I’ve realized that some people don’t read the emails I send. These messages seem to disappear into an email abyss. If the information was truly critical, I would likely have texted or called them. Perhaps I should consider more attention-grabbing methods, like a Goodyear Blimp, skywriting, or even a singing telegram? When I take the time to write, it’s for a good reason. I want to ensure you’re informed, and I’ve made the effort to do so. Unfortunately, many people don’t make this effort, leading to a lack of awareness about what’s happening. This often results in unexpected surprises.
When such situations occur, my response is simple: “I told you.” There are instances when I don’t have certain information, and therefore, can’t share it. However, if they’ve ignored the information I’ve provided, the responsibility falls on them.
There was an incident where a colleague from a different business area spread misinformation about my work. This caused a significant issue, albeit briefly. When the matter was escalated to the highest level of the organization, it was quickly resolved with comprehensive weekly reports and relevant documentation. While this may not happen to you, remember that your weekly status updates can serve as a record of your accomplishments throughout the year. So, when you’re reflecting on your achievements at year-end, you can refer to these updates.
Is it too much?
I remember working with a startup company some years ago and the young people kicking this company up said “we will not work with anyone that works in email.” Now their company never made it out of the gate and they are working for people which of course, require email to communicate. Our daily lives at work, at school, at home are full of transactions. Whether we are “Digital Immigrants”, “Digital Natives” or “Non-integrated cyborgs”, the requirements today are the same. We use messaging in multiforms and multi-modilities to communicate with each other. If someone chooses not to learn how to function using the same tools that others use for common purpose or practice, they are out of the loop.
My emails are not from the Nigerian Prince Doctor who found my cousin’s last will and testament in a box somewhere in a bar near the ocean. “Mr. Chen, oh, I have been blessed by this box I found with your cousin’s will, who unfortunately died while saving 100 children from a pack of lions. He left this box with your name on it, and if you send me $300 US, I can register and process and get you the $100 million billion in your name, Havvi Chen.”
The key to effective communication lies in the ability to craft thoughtful and clear writing. It plays a critical role in ensuring that our message resonates with the diverse audiences we engage with. While we may adopt different voices and tones to address these varied groups, the fundamental importance of articulate and purposeful writing remains constant. Therefore, it is imperative for us to continually hone our skills and strive for excellence in our written communication.
Happy Sunday ~ Get your writing on ..