Tag Archives: communication

#ConstChat Communicating Through Email

Avoid Email Pitfalls – #ConstChat Recap

Construction Chat is a weekly chat on Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time.  If you’re free, we’d love you to join us.

Communicating Effectively Through Email (and Texting)

What we forget about email is the recipients perception. My friend Joanne Marquez always says, “The tone of an email reflects the mood of the reader.”

So, how can you predict the recipient’s mood? You can’t always. But you do have a history of context with that person. Communicating though email is convenient; it can also be tricky.

A good rule of thumb with email is if an email bothers you, do nothing for 24 hours. Wait. Reflect. Reread. Does the tone of the email change?

When writing emails, see this blog post, say what you need to in 5 lines. Put hard returns (enter key for you young people) after each sentence. Why? People don’t read. They scan.

Merlin Mann of 43 folders gives great email tips in his Email Ninja posts.

Read some of the questions and answers below.

 Q1. What percentage of communication is done through email?

Continue reading

Communicating Effectively Through Email – #ConstChat Questions 4/16/15

#ConstChat Communicating Through EmailAre you in construction? Do you want to build up your following? Are you looking to connect with the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) community?

You’re in luck!

Joining our weekly Twitter Chat may just be the right thing for you.

Construction Chat is on Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

How to Join a Chat:

1. Follow the hashtag on Twitter (but don’t forget to add #ConstChat manually after your tweet or we won’t see your tweet).

2. Use Hootsuite or TweetDeck and make a column for #ConstChat (but don’t forget to put #ConstChat manually after your tweet).

3. Go to the Twubs page for #ConstChat.

4. My preferred method is using TweetChat. Just go here and log in with your Twitter account. You can even highlight the moderator so you don’t miss questions.

Communicating Effectively Through Email (and Texting)

What we forget about email is the recipients perception. My friend Joanne Marquez always says, “The tone of an email reflects the mood of the reader.”

So, how can you predict the recipient’s mood? You can’t always. But you do have a history of context with that person. Communicating though email is convenient; it can also be tricky.

A good rule of thumb with email is if an email bothers you, do nothing for 24 hours. Wait. Reflect. Reread. Does the tone of the email change?

When writing emails, see this blog post, say what you need to in 5 lines. Put hard returns (enter key for you young people) after each sentence. Why? People don’t read. They scan.

Merlin Mann of 43 folders gives great email tips in his Email Ninja posts.

This week’s questions:

Q1. What percentage of communication is done through email?

Q2. What form of communication do you prefer? Continue reading

Embracing Today’s Technology: Social Media

Automatic Telegraph Reciever patented by Samuel F. B. Morse, 1837

Automatic Telegraph Receiver patented by Samuel F. B. Morse, 1837 (Creative Commons cliff1066™’s)

“This telephone has too many shortcomings to be considered as a means of communication.  The device is of inherently no value to us.” ~ Western Union internal memo, 1876

Whenever any new technology hits the scene there are always two groups of people:  early adopters and nay-sayers.  And it’s amazing when you read some of the quotes from top industry moguls, especially those to whom the “new” technology poses extinction to their own.

Girl Listening to Radio

Young girl listening to the radio during the Great Depression. 1938 – 1945

“The radio craze will die out in time.” ~ Thomas Edison, American inventor, 1922
“Television won’t last because people will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” ~ Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946

Whether it was skepticism from the telegraph folks over this new “wireless” device (the radio), or nay-saying from the radio and movie folks about the television, or ludicrous claims from IBM et al that computers and fax machines would hold no practical value, the early adopters lead the way to prove them all wrong.  Early adopters are usually very passionate and enthusiastic.  They are great sources to watch and see if this technology is worth the time or cost associated with its use. Continue reading