SENDING CLEAR MESSAGES by Barbara J. Henry

We are living in the most technologically advanced period the world has ever known, and it is going to get better. The World Wide Web, e-mails, text messages, and instant messages, for example, have all done their part in bridging the communication gap between us. No matter where we happen to live in the world, we have, in many ways, become next-door neighbors: In a matter of seconds, depending upon the speed of our computer, we can travel the globe and get anything desired, all with the click of a mouse.

Communicating today is almost effortless, and even the telephone has been impacted to such a degree that it has become a virtual office. With so many ways to communicate, I wonder how concerned we are about how we say what we say?

What I mean is this: How much time do we spend on thinking about or composing our messages before we send them around the corner or around the world? Yes, I know: The new technology has developed a language of its own, but even so, do we make sure that we are using the language in a way that best conveys our thoughts? And when our messages, (text, twittered, instant or e-mailed) are received, do they express our intentions in the best way possible?

Let’s take a look at three of the more popular ways to communicate today to answer these questions.

Telephone: Does the receiver of your call know exactly what to do as a result of your message, assuming he or she is not available to answer the phone? Do you pace your speech or talk slowly enough for him or her to write your number, if your message asks for a return call?

E-Mail: Do you check your messages to find and correct errors in spelling and grammar before you hit send?

Text Message: Do you, considering the limited number of characters with which you have to work, choose the best combinations that most accurately convey your ideas in the clearest way possible?

Communicating has been taken to an unusually sophisticated level as a result of our modern technology, but we must still be concerned about how we correspond with each other, since we, too, are improving and experiencing personal growth, right along with technology.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Barbara J. Henry is a published author (Journaling: Twenty Plus Reasons Why You Should Start Now), personal development expert, and avid reader of books on self-growth, self-help, and spirituality—which are the subjects of her blog. Because she has journaled every single day since June of 1995, she describes herself as “the journaling lady.” Visit her website; go to the Titles/Products Page and download a free copy of her very effective tip sheet “9 Write Ways to Solve Problems.”