My communication style varies according to the situation. When corresponding with a family member or close friend on instant messenger, email, or texting, I communicate in a more casual style. Many times when I instant message or text, I use all lowercase or textspeak. I can be briefer in my communication style because the other party generally has an idea of what I am talking about already.
Most of my correspondence is in a professional setting. I work in customer service so I must be very thorough and professional in my communication. I have to assume that my customers do not understand all of the terminology, systems, etc. that we deal with so I must be very thorough in my explanations to avoid any confusion and resulting communication to clear up those questions. I have to have a “you attitude” approach with the customers and especially since we are dealing with the customers’ personal finances, we must be show empathy to their concerns. I also need to be very careful in what I communicate and must proofread everything I send. When corresponding with my boss or others in positions of authority I must also pay close attention to how my communication is coming across. Our opinion of others can easily be drawn by reading their correspondence.
As a supervisor, I must also be very careful of how I say things and what information I send. Communication must be very clear so there is no question about what is expected. I also need to remember to praise in public which is usually online for others to recognize an individual(s) accomplishments and punish in private. No one wants to be called out in front of others even in an online setting.
In online courses at school, we also have the opportunity to communicate online. How I correspond with the instructor has a lot to do with the instructor’s style. In this course, Jennifer is professional but creates more of a relaxed atmosphere. In one of my other courses for instance, the instructor is very formal and has very strict rules about how we are to communicate with her online or she will not respond. Again, who I’m corresponding with and what they are expecting of me determines my communication style.
Tools such as instant messenger are now being used in the workplace but how I instant message with a friend is different than how I instant message with my boss. Everything still needs to be presented professionally when using instant message as a business tool. Emails too need to be kept professional because you never know who they might be forwarded to so I try to stay mindful of what is put into writing and how it is presented. In summary, I know that I have different online communication styles depending on who I am corresponding with. It varies from very casual with family and friends, to semi-formal with close co-workers, and finally formal with superiors or customers. I think most people learn to adapt their online communication styles to fit the situation.
The way in which we talk differently to certain people really seems to make a difference online, and is more noticeable then when we talk to people face to face. I know that people have an idea of what I am talking about online, or if they don’t therefore when I speak to them, I do it accordingly. When talking with a group of people face to face, how often do you sit with the group, telling a story, when one individual is left out in the dark? A huge difference is that a lot of the communication online through IM is done on a one on one basis, where a lot of the conversations we have are with groups of people.
ReplyDeleteIn forums, usually that forum is about a certain topic, and participating in that forum you assume that the other individuals participating have an idea about what’s going on. Much like when we go to a meeting, most people should have a basic understanding of what the meeting is about. When we join forums or meetings, we avoid going into major detail because that would waste words that we could use for other things, such as diving into more depth about our topic.
I find that talking online is a lot like talking in a business environment because of these facts. It’s also important because you never know who may find your words later! Remember your words can be found for a long time after you post them!