One skill that helps people communicate effectively on the job is sending instant text messages. A text refers to a brief message sent by one person to another over cellular network (Oliu et al., 2020). Texting is convenient for quick communication between individuals in the same or different places. Aside from text, other forms of message communication are chat and instant messaging. These options allow file transfer in addition to quick text exchanges (Oliu et al., 2020). Text, instant, and chat messaging are useful in environments where instant and brief communication is necessary. For instance, instant messaging is convenient for a team working on a project. Members can promptly pitch their designs, seek clarification, and collaborate on ideas. I can apply text messaging in my business community by using it to communicate with my coworkers. In the past, I have mostly used emails to communicate with people in professional settings. While emailing is one of the most popular communication tools in business, text messaging may be more appropriate in certain cases. Some people reply to emails after several hours, which can be inconvenient to a sender who requires instant feedback. On the other hand, many people check their phone for texts more frequently and reply as soon as they see them. In business, I could use iPhone’s iMessage feature to communicate with my colleagues. The feature allows one to send texts, photos, videos, music, and links to other apps. Due to the versatility of iMessage, it is a useful communication tool. For instance, when working on a project, I can send my coworker a text message seeking clarification on a particular part of the project. They can then respond with a YouTube link on how the problem has been solved in the past. Another aspect of texting that I like is that it is permissible to abbreviate words and phrases (Oliu et al., 2020). For example, rather than typing “On my way” to indicate that I am on my way to a scheduled meeting, I can simply write “omw.” Nonetheless, one should only use common abbreviations that other people will understand. I also like iMessage because it is possible to form a group, which facilitates instant communication between several people. Each individual can participate in real-time communication with the rest of the team. Although text messaging is somewhat informal, there are some unspoken rules. First, it is good practice to be straightforward when using text message. Messaging does not necessitate as much preamble as other forms of communication, such as emails, and it is generally recommended to be direct. A second guideline is to send only the necessary number of messages to a person or group. It is annoying to send a stream of text messages to a person or people to solicit a quicker response. Instead, once a person sends a message, it is polite to patiently wait for a response and only send a follow-up message if the other person takes too much time to reply. It is also essential to be professional during text messaging for business purposes. For instance, it would be inappropriate for me to use IM for office gossip (Oliu et al., 2020). In the past, I have mostly used text messaging for personal communication. I now know that it is possible to use it for business purposes. Following the guidelines and best practice discussed, I am certain that I can efficiently communicate using text, instant, and chat messages.
Reference
Oliu, W. E., Brusaw, C. T., & Alred, G. J. (2020). Writing that works: Communicating effectively on the job (13th ed.). Macmillan Higher Education.