Raise your words not your voice. It’s rain that grows flowers not thunder ~Rumi
With exclamation signs and all the teacher sent an email titled “Important! Please read!” Parents rolled their eyes. Who wants to read a lengthy email captioned like that? The essence of what she wrote was students folders were sent home with report cards. Why not just say that? What parent isn’t interested in his/her child’s performance?
Corporate Communication
It’s the same with communication sent to employees by supervisors and managers. That’s essentially what Aaron Orendorff discussed in his insightful New York Times article Your Colleagues don’t read anything you write.
Simply say what you mean. No need to shout. It’s what Rumi’s quote alluded to Raise your words not your voice. It’s rain that grows flowers not thunder.
3 Communication Gems
Personally, I walked away with three gems:
- Put action words in your subject line
- Listen more. Talk less
- Don’t answer. Ask
Often it’s not what we say but how. So check your manner, tone, words and how you speak. Chances are your tone precedes your voice. Something to think about.
Cheers!
