Dont Take it Personally. How Emails Get Misinterpreted in the Workplace [Infographic]

Dont Take it Personally. How Emails Get Misinterpreted in the Workplace [Infographic] Emails get misinterpreted on a daily basis.   Weve all been there. Its been a long day.   Youve procrastinated finishing up that report thats due the next morning.   You realize you cant delay any longer, so you go into crunch mode and start writing those emails youve been sitting on all day. You quickly type your note and click send. Off it goes to Kathy in Sales, Steve in IT, and the new guy in accounting, is it John or Jakeyou cant remember. So, you log off the computer and go home. The next morning you step into your meeting and follow up on the email you sent out the day before. Kathy tells you she didnt follow through because the email was too vague. Steve said it was too longdidnt read. And John, turns out to be named Jake.   Whoops. You leave feeling frustrated.   How are you supposed to get your point across when everyone is so different?   Heck, that Zack kid wont even respond to emails unless you text him about it. Sometimes we all just prefer good old fashioned face to face communication to avoid all this misinterpretationand even that fails us from time to time. So how do emails get misinterpreted and how do you fix it? The answer lies in tweaking to others personalities according to todays infographic Hows Your Email Working For You? How Emails Get Misinterpreted Nuts and Bolts What is the main cause of confusion or resentment in the workplace? 43% blame email 32% blame text messaging 9% blame social networking 9% blame the phone 7% blame instant messaging Biggest Pet Peeves Biggest pet peeves for email senders. 51% No reply from recipients 14% Misinterpreted messages 13% Slow responses 11% Brusque or careless replies 4% Pushback or requests for more detial 3% Grammar police Biggest pet peeves for email recipients. 25% Too many reply alls 19% Emails that are too confusing or vague 18% Too much email in general 12% Emails that are too long 11% Chitchat not related to work 8% Bad grammar 7% Emails that come off as brusque or rude 2% Emails that have zero personality Millennial Email Mindsets 13% less likely than 30-44 year olds to be angered by email Point to texting not email as the biggest pain (45%) 7% more annoyed by bad grammar than other age groups Value faster replies 12% more than other age groups Adapting Email to Their Personalities Extraversion: The natural focus of Extraversion is the external world Tend to: Write long, conversational messages and send lots of emails Potential Result: Recipients may delete emails before reading them Tip: As sender, review emails to ensure that all the wording is necessary Introversion: The natural focus of Introversion is the internal world Tend to: Write brief messages unless it is a matter of great imporance Potential Result: Recipients may misinterpret brevity as inadequate responsiveness Tip: As sender, include all major details Thinking: Making decisions by stepping back from the situation, taking an objective view Tend to: Emphasize facts and logic over personal connections Potential Result: Recipients may feel bored and disconnected Tip: As sender, include personal touches Feeling: Making decisions by stepping into the situation, taking an empathetic view Tend to: Focus on whats valued by the recipient Potential Result: Recipients may not see the point quickly enough Tip: As sender, put facts and logic first; use bullets Proper Email Etiquette Consider sender and receiver personality preferences Acknowledge all emails you receive with a reply Read emails carefully; try not to misinterpret tone Respond in a timely manner Remove contacts from side conversations to avoid annoying Reply Alls Be clear and concise Consider phone or IM for sensitive topics Your Turn What frustrates you in emails?   Share in the comments below.