Business Language Skills: Instant Messaging
Learning objectives
In this article, you will
- learn some rules for using instant messaging apps at work
- practice key vocabulary on the topic of communication in the workplace
- practice compound adjectives and nouns.
Newsmart Level 3 (B1+, TOEIC 389–550, TOEFL iBT 41–52, IELTS 4.5–5)
All businesses rely on quick, effective communication in order to be successful. In this light, it makes sense that instant messaging apps have quickly become a staple of tech-savvy companies. They allow co-workers to communicate in real time and eliminate the need for more formal and time-consuming methods of communication like email and phone calls. It’s now an important part of business language.
However, just as with all new forms of technology and communication, there can be uncertainty about the correct etiquette to use when instant messaging. To dispel some of this uncertainty, the following is a short list of some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when using IM in the workplace.
First, let’s look at a few things that you SHOULD do:
1. DO say hello to the person you’re messaging and ask if they have a minute. You may know them very well, but that’s no excuse to ignore the basics of polite communication.
2. DO be brief and stick to the point. Instant messaging can quickly turn into time wasting if you start using it for chit chat. You wouldn’t waste time chatting with a colleague in person, so don’t do it on IM either.
3. DO write grammatically. Your language doesn’t have to be as formal or well-constructed as in an email, but it should still follow the rules and make sense. Use paragraphs and line breaks if your message is long enough. In fact, the longer the message, the more closely it should resemble an email.
4. Do be patient when waiting for a reply and remember to say thanks and goodbye when you’re finished.
And now here are some DON’Ts:
1. DON’T use too many informal emojis, emoticons, and abbreviations. The etiquette for this may vary from company to company, but most employees are expected to be business-like in their communication.
2. DON’T say anything in an IM that you wouldn’t say out loud or in an email. The informality of instant messaging can sometimes tempt people to cross the line and say inappropriate things!
3. DON’T use IM to give bad news or to fire someone. They won’t appreciate it!
4. DON’T use IM to ask questions that require a very detailed answer. The other person may feel rushed to provide it quickly and you might not get all the information you need.
Instant messaging is a useful and effective tool that helps people work together and do business in the fast-moving environment of the modern company. It’s rapidly becoming more advanced and refined, and instant messaging companies like Slack are among the fastest growing tech companies in the world.
To get an idea of just how important IM is, consider how email and the Internet have revolutionized communication between companies in global business. Then imagine this revolution on a smaller scale, and you’ll get an idea of how instant messaging is transforming companies’ internal communication and business language in general. IM is here to stay!
Photo credit: Sinchen.Lin / Creative Commons
Originally published at www.getnewsmart.com.
