Speaking to someone through email or social media is very different from speaking to someone face-to-face.
Meanings are conveyed through typed words and body language can’t be used so easily, and ultimately emotions can easily be misunderstood. What you say can easily have a different interpretation to individuals when they can’t see you as they would in person.
Here are some of our tips for using correct etiquette in both your virtual PAL Teams video sessions, and your Teams chat.
Do’s:
- Thank, acknowledge and support people freely (e.g. ‘I liked your comment on’, ‘I agree with that’)
- Acknowledge before differing (‘what I think you mean is.. have I got that right?’)
- Avoid impersonal statements (‘this is the way it is’).
- Always include a subject line (title of message or message header).
- Keep message easy to understand, and accessible to a diversity of learning and comprehension styles (write concisely).
- Respect the people in your group, including their pronouns.
- Think before you send a message (e.g how might someone else infer this message? Is there something I can change to eliminate any misunderstandings?)
Don’ts:
- Type your emails in capitals (known as SHOUTING).
- Post an email message intended to insult or provoke (flaming).
- Post with the intention of annoying someone or disrupting their discussion (trolling).
