Institute of Internal Communication

In this month when there is a particular focus on clarity of language, as a result of Plain English Day (10 December), the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC) warns that employees can damage the businesses they work for through poor use of email and social media.

IoIC Chairman Dominic Walters comments: “We tend to think of plain English in terms of relatively formal communications by organisations. However, informal, online communications between staff in the form of email and social media such as intranet discussion fora now have a very influential role.

“In terms of effective organisational communication, centrally planned strategies obviously have a key role to play. However, each individual employee also has a significant contribution to make by using online tools effectively when communicating with colleagues, which, in turn can help to enhance productivity and improve motivation.

“The quality of such communications can fall down due to: the pressures faced by individuals receiving many messages every day; the temptation created by online communications to respond quickly without reflection; and the tendency to opt for email because it is easier rather than necessarily better.”

Some types of online communicators can positively damage businesses:

Exclusively online – this individual will actively avoid any other forms of communication such as face-to-face.

The essay writer – someone who writes very long and complex messages, and who seems to be expecting something equally detailed as a response. They would often do much better just to pick up the phone and talk through the issues with the relevant colleague.

The cryptic clue expert – someone who’s communications are very short, vague, do not particularly address the issue and seem to be missing content that would enhance understanding. Such individuals risk giving the impression that they are deliberately trying to create confusion and hold information back.

Back to childhood – the individual who, although normally a clear communicator, loses the ability to spell or string sensible sentences together, probably because of the speed with which they have composed and dispatched the online message. Their lack of precision can create ambiguity or misunderstanding.

The impetuous fool – someone who throws caution to the wind and expresses exactly what they are feeling in the heat of the moment, often involving anger or irritation. While it is important to express views, an overly emotional approach will not encourage balanced, rational feedback, and probably makes it harder to understand the problem and develop potential solutions. This person can also get themselves into trouble through what are seen as offensive remarks.

Communications practitioners and HR and training professionals need to provide support and guidance in dealing with online challenges, from tone and content and decisions about when online communication is appropriate, to how to deal constructively with a large volume of emails or simply understanding specific online tools. Some form of training may be beneficial to cover all the bases.
Line managers particularly need to recognise that their staff value and need meaningful face to face contact, and this will not change, regardless of what online communications options are available.

Staff do not want a raft of rigid rules in relation to online tools which traditionally have a relaxed, democratic and non-hierarchical quality. An overly prescriptive approach can kill tools such as the intranet. The challenge is to promote best practice clearly and persuasively, and everyone involved in this process needs to lead by example.