What about Writing?

So we've talked about how to communicate orally, and the importance of gestures/acts. Now what about e-mail writing?

It's tricky, as anyone that has frequented the internet knows; it's easy for messages to be taken the wrong way. When writing you can't inject the tone of your voice and, when read by someone who didn't come up with the idea in the first place, something harmless can create conflict.

Things simply get lost in translation.

One key thing to remember is not to add humour if the culture prizes politeness. The thing is-as we've said before-different cultures have different values. In some places, typically of more Eastern origin, formality and respect are very important. You can't allow for any problems, like a joke gone bad for instance. Slang can also be taken in different ways, but probably isn't appropriate in a business setting anyway. Best to avoid it.

The formatting of e-mails can also be different depending on the culture. Some cultures will expect a normal address before the main content, while others just won't care.

The main problem though is the most basic: language. If the person you're writing to doesn't understand what you're communicating then there are going to be problems. That also goes the other way around; if you don't understand what they are trying to convey, don't hesitate to send an e-mail back asking for clarification.

LJ