Why Email Communication Sometimes Sucks

We have all had experiences where we receive an email and the message contained can either confuse us or can come across as inappropriate or something it was not intended to be. There can be serious miscommunications when the sender of the email is from a different culture and background than the receiver of the email who will read it in a completely different manner and gets an entirely different message. Why does this happen?

There are many different reasons why email communication can sometimes suck and might require clarification.

Miscommunication happens often in a same culture and one of the main issues is that words only convey about 7% of the message when we communicate; tone accounts for 38% and non-verbal cues – body language – accounts for the majority of the message at 55%. Because words represent only 7% of what we perceive, the problem is that there is an issue with the encoding-decoding process. We are missing the other key cues that convey the real intention and meaning of the message.

Now imagine how miscommunication will eventually happen between two people of different cuItures… This can have much to do with the individual’s cultural background or their personality profile – Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, or Compliance.

There are also differences in cultural communication styles. These cultural orientations are known as “High Context” and “Low Context” societies. The main difference is in the way that sentences are structured. High context societies are usually less verbally explicit and rely more on indirect verbal interaction and infer the rest of the message by reading non-verbal cues. They usually have less written communication and are more interested in building relationships and trust. High context cultures include China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and many more. On the other hand, low context societies are task-centered and tend to foster more short-term connections. Communications also tend to be much more direct and informal. Low context cultures include the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada.

So, what can we do to ensure that email communication sucks less? Here are some tips for more effective email communication:

The key is to remember that the same email message can be interpreted differently by different people. Do not get offended, do not judge or do not be frustrated. Think about the fact that the other party might as well feel the same way about your “communication skills”.

Pay attention to your interlocutor style – If your interlocutor writes you a bullet point email, try to adapt to the same format, if on the contrary it is full of details, and include as well contextual elements. This will save you time and energy!

Use descriptive headings in the subject line– this allows recipient to know what it’s about and that is important and needs to be read.

Make sure you use the sender’s name or even title and last name when you respond– if you don’t, you could seem disconnected and impersonal for some or totally disrespectful for others.

Only address one or two points per email – this is so that the reader can easily find the email with the information they are looking for by the subject line.

Be concise and to the point – otherwise, the content can be lost in translation; should not be more than 3 paragraphs.

When writing to colleagues in the USA, England or Germany use a bulleted form when possible – becomes more reader friendly and more likely to be understood the way you intended.

Avoid “cc-ing” more than 6 – 8 people at a time – this makes the reader feel less important and unnecessarily flood mailboxes. You should be able to discern who really needs to receive the message.

Specify the response you desire – include call to action and always include your contact information.

Respond in a timely manner – Set reasonable expectations and validate your sender. If you don’t have the time for a lengthy or detailed response, send a “holding” email to let the sender know that you received the message and when you will send a full response.

Ultimately, even though email communication has become so commonplace in today’s world, nothing beats a real fierce conversation, human to human. So if you can, try to have more face-to-face conversations with coworkers and if email is your only choice, be mindful of who the receiver will be, what message you are trying to convey and adapt your style to your receiver as you wish they will do it for you. Be clear to avoid any issues!