As a virtual assistant, I often respond to my various clients’ clients. I have to answer questions or clarify something. Or in the past, I’ve had to quickly respond to a regional parenting editor who needed some extra information.
And one thing I’ve learned over the recent months is I need to be patient and remember kindness in my words.
In my answer.
There’s been more than a few times that I’ve had to erase my words in an email after I reread what I wrote.
Emails can easily sound abrupt when you didn’t necessarily mean to be. Tweet this
They can sound
harsh,
hurried or
demanding.
I have to remember that when someone has a question, 99% of the time they need clarification about something.
They need an answer. They need
a gentle one;
and a thorough one.
I have to remind myself when someone is abrupt with me or even frustrated in an email, I make it a challenge to be kind enough in my email to them that I see a change of tone in their email.
I don’t know what kind of day they’ve already had.
Did their dishwasher break?
Or did their spouse bark at them this morning?
Or are they just in a rush to get to their next important project?
I don’t always remember to be full of thought and full of grace when I respond to clients. My natural reaction is to bark back if someone is short with me or become impatient if I have someone asks me a question that is clearly already answered in the email.
But I’m getting a bit better…How about you?
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Very good reminder. I think words can be interpreted very differently as well, when we don’t have the body language or context to go with them. I too have learned to take it slow and read and read again before sending emails. You can’t take them back.
For many years in my recent past I was the person who answered the tough, angry or difficult emails. It was usually a challenge I enjoyed, as there is a feeling of “job well done” when you diffuse the anger. I guess I got a bit too comfortable during a certain time period of too many 12+ hours of work days. I was tired and allowed myself to go on automatic. That was when I should have been re-reading before sending. One of my replies was taken as being condescending. Upon reading my reply a day later I was thoroughly shocked, as well as embarassed. It did not sound like it could have come from me! I was not that mean-spirited person! Who used my fingers and wrote my email response?
Lesson learned. I never again sent out an email without reading through it one more time. If it had been in response to a difficult or angry situation, I learned to mull on it for a bit prior to sending. I knew how to do the words but sometimes I let emotions get in my way. Well, I did then. Like I said, I learned my lesson.
Nancy, You’re right, words can’t be taken back.
Julie, Yep, that’s so easily done. time is a great seasoning. Julie and Nancy, thank you for saying hello!