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PM communication - written

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Milind Patil Bangalore, Karnataka, India
How PM can ensure he is using right words or writing words in a correct order in sentence while writting email to someone or to team so that words or sentence will not sound

- Demanding
- Threatening
- Ordering
-

It will be great if someone shares resources to learn this skill.
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Yasmina Khelifi Senior Project Manager Paris, France
Write short sentences. Depending on your mother tongue you may want to write long sentences but that can be confusing.
you can write factual emails but you have to put some sentences to look not to direct.

for instance, when you begin. 'I hope you are keeping well. (you and your family for some countries).

then
Do it please. do it ASAP. looks quite direct and ordering.
Would you mind trying ....if you have time?

after you have to adapt to people you work with. Even if you are a manager, in some countries it does not mean you have the right to give orders or to be too direct.
but the more you practise the better it is.
it is also important to have regular feedback loops with people you send emails to. and you can tell people: 'I may sound direct in this email ..'. Perhaps when people do not know you it is better to build a relationship over the phone before writing emails.
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1 reply by Milind Patil
Nov 24, 2022 1:45 PM
Milind Patil
...
Thanks Yasmina.
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Stéphane Parent Self Employed / Semi-retired| Leader Maker Prince Edward Island, Canada
Yasmina just reminded me: "Would" appeals more to the recipient's emotions than "can" or "could".

If you want to receive a reply, consider adding a question at the end of the email.

And, finally, never ask for more than one thing per email. It's amazing how people stop at the first ask and never go beyond.
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Keith Novak Tukwila, Wa, United States
A couple thoughts come to mind in addition to the excellent thoughts from the community. In no particular order...

If you can talk to people first, do that before the email. You can spend a lot of time trying to write something perfectly that you could sort out very quickly by talking to someone. If you need a follow-up email for documentation, you can then be brief and not misinterpreted.

Ask for help rather than stating demands. It provides much less opportunity for people to read your intention as hostility.

If something needs to be done ASAP, explain why there is urgency. What are the consequences if they don't? I frequently have this discussion frequently when asking for help from those above me: How hard do I have to push and why? Explain the consequences of the "do nothing solution".

Ask for when they can reasonably meet your request considering their other obligations. That shows you understand they are already busy.

When asking for input, I will often use the terms "Please advise." Please shows respect and advise shows I value their input.

I would close the email with something closer to "Your help on this is greatly appreciated." than Thanks, Best Regards, Sincerely, or something that sounds very impersonal.

Also, have a peer review it first as Thomas suggested. Things sound different in your own head than they do to others.
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1 reply by Milind Patil
Nov 24, 2022 1:44 PM
Milind Patil
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Great. Thanks Keith
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Milind Patil Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Nov 24, 2022 12:36 PM
Replying to Keith Novak
...
A couple thoughts come to mind in addition to the excellent thoughts from the community. In no particular order...

If you can talk to people first, do that before the email. You can spend a lot of time trying to write something perfectly that you could sort out very quickly by talking to someone. If you need a follow-up email for documentation, you can then be brief and not misinterpreted.

Ask for help rather than stating demands. It provides much less opportunity for people to read your intention as hostility.

If something needs to be done ASAP, explain why there is urgency. What are the consequences if they don't? I frequently have this discussion frequently when asking for help from those above me: How hard do I have to push and why? Explain the consequences of the "do nothing solution".

Ask for when they can reasonably meet your request considering their other obligations. That shows you understand they are already busy.

When asking for input, I will often use the terms "Please advise." Please shows respect and advise shows I value their input.

I would close the email with something closer to "Your help on this is greatly appreciated." than Thanks, Best Regards, Sincerely, or something that sounds very impersonal.

Also, have a peer review it first as Thomas suggested. Things sound different in your own head than they do to others.
Great. Thanks Keith
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Milind Patil Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Nov 24, 2022 7:23 AM
Replying to Yasmina Khelifi
...
Write short sentences. Depending on your mother tongue you may want to write long sentences but that can be confusing.
you can write factual emails but you have to put some sentences to look not to direct.

for instance, when you begin. 'I hope you are keeping well. (you and your family for some countries).

then
Do it please. do it ASAP. looks quite direct and ordering.
Would you mind trying ....if you have time?

after you have to adapt to people you work with. Even if you are a manager, in some countries it does not mean you have the right to give orders or to be too direct.
but the more you practise the better it is.
it is also important to have regular feedback loops with people you send emails to. and you can tell people: 'I may sound direct in this email ..'. Perhaps when people do not know you it is better to build a relationship over the phone before writing emails.
Thanks Yasmina.
avatar
Latha Thamma reddi Sr Product and Portfolio Management (Automation Innovation)| DXC Technology Mckinney, Tx, United States
solution provided thanks
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