Balance these 2 factors if you don’t want your emails to be misunderstood

Email continues to be the preferred method for workplace correspondence. Yet, this straightforward form of communication carries significant potential for misunderstandings. In March 2024, my company Babbel commissioned the international market research agency OnePoll to survey 2,000 U.S. office workers about their communication preferences.

The findings shed light on the enduring reliance on email and revealed a staggering 88% of U.S. office workers have immediately regretted hitting the send button. As workplace language and communication evolve while new generations enter the workforce, crafting the perfect email has become increasingly nuanced and more crucial than ever.

The tone trap

The deceptively simple phrase “well done” in an email can trigger significant anxiety for employees, leading to prolonged speculation about the sender’s intentions. Is it a sincere compliment or subtle sarcasm? For instance, research shows that 60% of people interpret the phrase “well done” as sarcastic when delivered via email, highlighting a fundamental challenge of digital communication: the absence of vocal tone and body language creates abundant room for misinterpretation.

Common phrases in the workplace have evolved into potential pitfalls. The abbreviation FYI may be read as passive-aggressive, while “as per my last email” often conveys a sense of barely concealed frustration.

Even the choice of punctuation can dramatically alter the intended meaning of a message. A full stop at the end of “thanks” can shift the tone from genuine gratitude to one of sarcasm.

These interpretation challenges are further amplified in today’s multigenerational workplace. Babbel’s research shows that while 40% of U.S. office workers consider emojis appropriate in professional emails, their usage can lead to polarized opinions. Younger employees, particularly Gen Zers, frequently utilize emojis to infuse warmth and clarity into workplace communication. Conversely, senior staffers with a more traditional approach to work correspondence often consider emojis unprofessional, inappropriate, and lacking maturity.

The other cost of miscommunication

The repercussions of email miscommunication extend beyond momentary discomfort. According to Babbel’s survey, 28% of office workers believe an email they’ve sent has adversely impacted their careers. Furthermore, 60% of survey participants reported that the volume of emails they received heightened their stress levels. The increasing pressure to communicate effectively while managing overflowing inboxes creates a perfect storm for potential mishaps.

Unlike instant messaging platforms, where messages can be deleted or edited, emails create permanent records. The formal nature of email correspondence adds a layer of complexity to the communication dynamics. Approximately 48% of respondents regarded email as a more formal medium compared to other forms of communication, such as instant messaging or phone calls.

This perception intensifies the stakes, driving professionals to meticulously craft emails, ensuring their messages are concise and appropriate. This can lead to anxiety, prompting employees to second-guess their wording and tone, resulting in over-explaining and ambiguity, which more than often causes misinterpretation and ultimately undermines the intended meaning of the message entirely.

3 ways to balance professionalism with personality

The key to strong email communication hinges on balancing professionalism with personality, a skill that effective language learning tools can greatly enhance. To navigate this delicate equilibrium, consider the following strategies:

Know your audience and their preferred communication style. While internal emails may embrace informality, including emojis, correspondence with external stakeholders typically necessitates a more traditional approach.

To foster clarity, consider developing team guidelines for general email communication to establish shared expectations. Additionally, evaluate whether email is the most appropriate medium for your message: Certain conversations may be better suited to face-to-face meetings, video calls, or even instant messaging platforms.

Different generations and organizational cultures often have varying expectations regarding language. Every employee can benefit from recognizing these differences and learning the nuances of the language specific to their workplace.

Focus on clarity and tone. According to Babbel’s research, 48% of workers judge grammatical correctness more harshly in emails than in instant messages. Therefore, carefully review the message for grammar and spelling accuracy.

Additionally, consider the potential tone for misinterpretation. For instance, could “just checking in” be read as micromanagement? Would “I look forward to hearing your thoughts” come across as more approachable than “Please provide your feedback?”

Ensuring your email is concise and contains only necessary information is equally vital as unnecessary details can obscure the main message and increase the risk of misinterpretation. However, achieving conciseness should not come at the expense of warmth and courtesy, brevity must be balanced with a respectful and clear style.

Embrace warmth while maintaining professionalism. Simple phrases like “I hope you’re well” or “Thank you for your time” can humanize digital interactions without compromising their formal nature. Employees can practice incorporating warmth into their emails by using specific praise and/or acknowledgment instead of ambiguous expressions such as “well done,” which may read as insincere.

When crafting particularly sensitive or important messages, seeking a trusted colleague’s perspective can be invaluable in identifying potential tone issues or misinterpretations before sending an email. This type of workplace language learning is important because, by actively developing their language skills, employees can ensure that their messages are not only clear and professional but also considerate and emotionally intelligent.

The future of email etiquette

A surprising 79% of Americans in Babbel’s research acknowledge judging others by their email signatures, emphasizing how every element of our digital communication carries significance. This scrutiny extends particularly to how we conclude our messages. What once was a straightforward choice between “yours sincerely” for formal correspondence and “best wishes” for more casual interactions, is now evolving. Yet, the evolution of email etiquette continues to shift, with recent surveys indicating that traditional greetings and closings such as “to whom it may concern” or “yours truly” are falling out of favor. This decline reflects a broader transition toward more contemporary communication styles, where authenticity and personal connection often take precedence over formal conventions.

As email continues to withstand technological developments, successful workplace communication lies in the hands of those who actively address these challenges. The most proficient communicators will be those who can adapt their style to their audience while maintaining authenticity. By acknowledging email’s potential pitfalls while embracing its capacity for clear, warm, and professional communication, we can transform this source of workplace stress into a tool for building stronger professional relationships across generational divides.