Five lessons worth revisiting about communicating online
If the Wikileaks saga has told us anything, then it’s the fallibility of email both as a medium and a means of communication. While it undoubtedly has changed the way we communicate, it isn’t always for the better – and while there’s some superficial enjoyment to be had from the embarrassment , the damage done from these unguarded communications could put back international diplomacy for years. Time, then, to reappraise email and online communications in the workplace - and avoid the pitfalls faced when using it.
E-mail isn’t secure
In the same month where we’ve seen Google ticked off for collecting personal data, the fallibility of email security means it’s definitely time to reconsider what you send. Never mind those whinges about your boss – which, if you’re daft enough to send within your own employer’s email system, you probably deserve everything you get – it’s time to re-evaluate how you send data to customers.
If your colleagues or clients request confidential information, make security your number one priority. In the first instance, give the recipient a call and check that they are happy to receive documents by email. If not, then suggest you either (i) encrypt the documents in a zip file with a password (ii) place the document in a secure delivery space where they can download it (we use SendIt, but there are plenty of others) or (ii) encrypt the documents on CD/DVD/memory stick and deliver either by courier or in person. They’ll like your thinking and appreciate the care you’re taking with them.
Think before you write
One of the fascinating aspects of the social media era has been the blurring of lines between what people say and what they write down. The conversational nature of social media means people now express themselves as unguardedly as they might in a private conversation– the difference being, of course, that one exists as a passing moment while the other becomes a matter of permanent record. Many have trouble grasping this: witness the unceasing stream of gaffes made by minor politicians, celebrities et al when they stumble wide-eyed into Twitter.
The answer is simple. Whenever you write something, ask whether you’d like to see it published in the local paper. Or your mum to read. Makes you think twice, doesn’t it?
Opinion is not the same as official policy
Once of the key issues with the Wikileaks scandal is that much being reported is personal opinion, not official policy. The problem is that people don’t tend to see much difference between the two, and personal opinion unsurprisingly gets taken as a more honest yardstick of a person’s true intentions.
If you have a professional opinion on a subject that differs from the official line of your business, first consider whether you are offering a constructive alternative viewpoint rather than undermining your company’s reputation. If it is the latter, think extremely carefully before acting. If the former, make it clear that that your views are not necessarily company policy but could form a useful alternative view. This is useful for a number of reasons: both in defining your lines of thinking, showing that you are capable of independent reasoning, and finally good insurance should the recipient bring up your line of thinking elsewhere.
Email isn’t a communication in itself
The most notorious aspect of email is the widespread belief that sending an email constitutes a communication: the belief that by firing off an email, or by cc’ing an individual or group, that your work is done. It isn’t.
Communication only happens when a recipient responds to a message, indicating they have understood the message sent to them. So if you haven’t had a response, you can’t say that you’ve communicated - and you certainly can’t use that hoary old excuse that “I sent you an email….”
Is the written word appropriate?
The advent of email has presaged a marked decline in meeting people face-to-face meetings. In Eastern cultures, especially China, the concept of Face is crucial: Not surprising, seeing as the majority of our interpersonal cues are taken from how people behave and react, not what they say.
Email removes Face entirely from the process, not necessarily to its advantage. Email can be open to different interpretations, depending on the reader, and manipulated to deliver everything from flaming rants to a frosty barrier of near-silence.
So the the most important question to always ask yourself is: Do I need to email this? It’s a hard habit to break, but frequently it’s quicker and more effective to pick up the phone. Better still, it’s an opportunity to meet the other person. The fact of the matter is that face-to-face gets agreements. It secures deals. It nurtures professional friendships. We trust it more. Wise people, the Chinese.
Thanks to Fiona Anderson, aka @geekchicsocial from @rocktimesocial, for the idea!
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Not that I can find it now but I read an interesting article a couple of months back interviewing one of the top dogs at Google. He may have been dramatising the whole thing but he was suggesting that people in the future will need to change their identities to get away from a previous digital existence - extreme I know but it does bring up an interesting point.
Although in a utopian world it may be nice to be completely open and share every facet of our lives but surely that doesn't stop the massive potential, for the information getting into the wrong hands . . .
When I was a journalist, the difference between what is written and what was spoken was made very clear, not least as UK law has the a view on it. Anything that's spoken is viewed as transitory and in the moment - if about someone and untrue, it's slander. However the written word is seen as permanent, so if untrue accuations are made, it's libel - the latter usually having more serious consequences in law. That's why you tend to see newspapers in the dock more than you might see broadcast media, although the fact that broadcast material is now frequently recorded and available muddies this once clear division.
The fact of the matter is that a lot of people are simply unaware of the law and are translating their conversation behaviour into a potentially dangerous and letigious world. Maybe there's room out there for a social media finishing school....
‘the widespread belief that sending an email constitutes a communication: the belief that by firing off an email, or by cc’ing an individual or group, that your work is done. It isn’t.’
Communication is a two way street!! A bit like social media.
Fi_x
