Communication keeps evolving at breakneck speed – the way we speak and write today is nothing like it was several years ago. And as we need to deal with more and more messages on a daily basis, they’ve become brief and dry. Sometimes even to the point of brusqueness.

There are many aspects of today’s fast paced communication that could be tweaked a bit. Here are 8 tips on how to start.

Check out: 8 Ways to Improve Your Communication Right Now

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Glossary

• cloud – make (a matter or mental process) unclear or uncertain; confuse
• worthy – deserving effort, attention, or respect
• convey – communicate (a message or information)
• angst – a feeling of persistent worry about something trivial
• innocuous – not harmful or offensive

Think about it

Decide whether the statements below are true or false?

• Focusing on a single conversation can improve your efficiency and help you manage your time better.
• Looking people in the eye comes naturally for a vast majority of people.
• If you don’t take notes regarding your conversations, you will not remember what was said.
• Reading the first line of an email is sufficient to write an incomprehensible reply.
• Short emails aren’t necessarily curt.

Practice makes perfect

Fill in the blank spaces with the correct forms of the words in CAPS.

Multitasking may be fine for some, but people ________ RARE want your divided ________ ATTEND. If too many things are going on, you’re likely to miss important details that might make the difference between success and ________ FAIL. Whether you are having a conversation in person or on the phone, give the other person focused time. You’ll make them feel important and ________ WORTH. Plus your conversations will actually be shorter, allowing you to go back and add that important mustache to your Instagram photo.

Put the words in bold back where they belong.

weren’t   –   don’t   –   no   –   unless   –   not

For detailed communicators like me, I need confirmation to know that a conversation is finished. If I send you an email or text giving you requested information, I have _____ way of knowing that you received it and it was acceptable _____ you tell me. If I _____ hear from you, I worry that the email went to spam, or you _____ satisfied. My brain will keep wondering and I will start following up with more texts or emails, which waste your time and fill your inbox. Solve the problem for both of us by replying with a simple “Got it” or “Thanks.” You can even set this up in your mail program as a signature to save keystrokes. _____ doing this is the electronic equivalent of rudely walking away from a conversation while we are still talking.

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