In real world, there are number of things one needs to keep in mind while interacting with others. We collectively call them ‘etiquette. On net in the virtual world we need the same attitude and we call it netiquettes.
While interacting face to face in real world, we are expected to be polite and elaborating to keep interaction healthy and clear and we also have every chance to immediately correct or elaborate our say/reply/argument. Does the same thing applies to interaction in virtual world? Answer is NO!
We need to be very, very careful when it comes to write down something. It should be elaborating but precise and still clear! I believe most of readers will agree with me on the point that most of the time, people send or reply with a very lengthy and with reparative content. In business environment, this becomes a serious concern. Many times people reply with just, OK, GOT IT, YES! This only suggests that the person has just given acknowledgement of receipt and nothing else. Do not be so short so as to impress your aloofness on the reader and at the same do not drag on unnecessarily. Both cases lead to ambiguity, so you might have to write another mail just to clear it up!
This simply equals to replying with same words in real time. Does this really conveys any of expected message like, “I have understood given instructions”, “I am sending deliverables before given deadline”, “I have received the package, I have opened it and it is in working condition” and so on…
This type of reply leads to more mailing for explanation, or maybe irritated people just cut off with you!
Here are some suggestions in sense of etiquettes in business environment;
Do not consider your collogues as friends, this leads to casual behaviors; it can hurt someone permanently. This in turn may harm your career. Remember there is difference between simple, easy, and loose and slang.
Avoid involvement in gossiping, don’t even stay around!
While discussing topics, stick to context. This gives good or even strong impression. Random discussion leads to gossiping and commenting.
Before you deliver a word, confirm to yourself; is this is exactly what I want to say? Would it convey my expressions precisely? Your superior expects precise replies, not in reporting only; but in conversation as well. Loose language, slang terms, wordy expressions leads only towards an inferior impression!
In general and in business environment; never ask anyone;
About qualification (may be undergraduate or less educated!)
About job (person may be jobless!)
About Parents (might be an orphan!)
About marriage (may be still be depressingly single or worse, separated!)
About children (might have lost the only one!)
Don’t ask about salary, smoking, drinking and age (These are the most stupid questions; and most people love to know this!!)
In a nutshell, never get personal while in business, you may just strike a nerve there!
Here are some suggestions in sense of netiquettes in business environment;
In corporate world, not only your net browsing but also, your keystrokes are monitored/recorded.
Avoid net surfing without knowledge of your superior’s.
Avoid casual chatting in internal communicators and on net messengers like Skype/Gmail/yahoo and so on.
Your keystrokes are recorded.
Avoid personal mailing, which you think is sensitive. Each word and the attachment/s are screened.
Avoid copying anything from USB, log file keeps record of what is copied from system.
Avoid bypass sites to access external email accounts, it is also recorded.
Avoid playing movies from web on your system, it is recorded.
I have seen stupid youngsters from IT, fired for above reasons; what about the rest?
While writing a mail, use simple, elaborative, clear, but precise sentencing and phrasing. While typing keep the reader in mind (avoid writing mail like this article!) who may not read the whole mail.
While replying a mail, do not reply mail, before you read and understand everything till the signature. Many people reply before understanding context. Also, do not reply in just word or phrases.
Now a days people have androids and ipads/ipods. We use them to check mails (reply mails shows “from android”). In business environment, precise and neat replies are expected. As the keyboards of these gadgets are congested, they are tending to brief replies; that I have mentioned in the beginning. This leads only to confusion. You think you have replied the mail and the recipient feels, you haven’t replied “to the point!”
To sum up, the ulterior motive of any conversation is to convey one’s feelings or opinions about something to other. Do justice to the language rather than playing word games and voila, you have hit the goal! Altogether may be real world or virtual world…
What we think on ourselves is personality, what other see is ‘a character’!
Sudarshan
