Communication is crucial in professional realms…
That was a clear message from last night’s Craft Your Future workshop: Communication in the Workplace. Colleagues Shelly Rasmussen, Community Consulting Specialist and Maddy Gyongyosi ‘18, Assistant Director of Annual Giving co-led an interactive and informative session intended to build student skillsets to make them more informed and productive communicators in their current roles on and off campus as well as in their future workplaces. Here is a quick snapshot of their recommendations: 
When using the phone
Take time to prepare for your call – set-up your workspace and ensure you have any information needed, expected outcomes noted and a way to take notes.
Speak clearly and slowly, especially if you need to leave a message – communicating without visual cues can make it more difficult to understand each other.
Focus on listening – it’s OK to leave a brief pause after the other party finishes so you avoid speaking over them while you formulate your response.
Be politely persistent – if you don’t receive a response to a message you’ve left, it is very appropriate to call back.
When communicating via email
Enlist a proofreader – it is important to proof your message, ensure that you’ve included all attachments and links, and that you have all of the correct parties on your email.
Avoid hyperbole and over-exclamation – too much enthusiasm can come across as insincere or unprofessional in a work note.
Make it concise and skimmable – we all have too many notes in our inbox and message apps these days and studies show that readers often don’t get beyond the first line or two. Use of bullet points, headers and thoughtful formatting will keep the reader’s eye focused on your primary messages.
We hope these tips help with your communication. Please join us for a future Craft Your Future event – see the schedule and recordings of past events here.