Email's Negativity Bias

We tend not to realize that important nonverbal social cues are not written between the lines of our emails. Electronic communications has a problem. The lack of conversational nuances creates a negativity bias.

If you intend your email to be positive, it will be read as being neutral.
If you write an email with a neutral tone, it will likely be interpreted as being negative.

For example, writing ‘okay sure’ in response to a request from your boss can easily be read as being clipped and dismissive, because the written words don’t deliver the soft tone of voice and smile you would have used in person.

Solutions

to counteract the Negativity Bias

A short conversation is faster and less exhausting than a long chain of emails.

Send video (or at least audio) messages using services such as Loom, Vimeo, Vidyard, etc.

Inject positivity into your writing. When you read messages from other people, counteract the negativity bias by assuming a positive intent.

“People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel.”

- Maya Angelou

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