Rule 1. Create a Safe Environment

The foundation of effective communication is a safe environment. A safe environment is one where the sender and receiver have a shared understanding of the purpose of the communication. Neither party is trying to force information into the pool of shared meaning and there is respect between both parties. Once either party starts to force ideas, disregard or criticise a viewpoint, or purposefully withhold information, respect will be lost along with the freeflow of meaning (dialogue). A safe environment will ensure a greater level of authenticity in the communication process.

Rule 2. Be Authentic

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt there was a hidden agenda or that you weren't being told the full story? How did you react? My guess is that you were not motivated to take action on the information you were provided, learning wasn't provoked and your relationship with the other party was not strengthened, in fact it may have worsened. Being authentic is about tackling the tough challenges and making the communication real, being honest and considering all possible realities that exist. Remember, no one person owns all the truth, everyone owns a piece of it. Authenticity will promote trust between parties, provoke learning, and be the motivator for future action.

Rule 3. Commit to Action

A safe environment with authentic communication promotes action on behalf of one or all parties involved. Why? Because you will clearly see the value that may be gained through taking the action, and you will be confident in making a decision when you trust the source and information you are basing your decision on.

If these three rules are adhered to with any communication exchange, you can feel confident that you will be building relationships, provoking learning and a catalyst for positive change based on shared purpose. After all, the communication is the relationship.

Bringing it home

I'd like to thank Dallas for this article. It is important for us to remember when sending email that each email is only one small piece of our ongoing relationship with the recipient. By examining the general principles of communication, we can discover how to improve our email communication.

Consider how you can relate the rules above to your own email newsletters.

Are you making recipients feel safe, knowing that they are receiving specific information from you because they asked for it? Do they feel comfortable giving you information about themselves?

Are you authentic? Do you deliver a clear, honest message, or do you try to sell your services through double meanings and vague promises?

Do you tell your customers exactly what you will do? Do you make it clear what you are asking them to do? A call to action is vital in every communication.

Your challenge this month is to use these rules to identify how you can improve your own email communication.

For those of you interested in further reading, Dallas highly recommends these two books:

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time -- by Susan Scott

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High -- by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Stephen R. Covey

Cassie Woolley is the Technical Director of Suna Communications Pty Ltd, a company that provides software solutions to assist companies to engage in responsible and cost effective email marketing. This column is called "The Last Word" because Cassie's parents always said she liked to have the last word in any argument! You can contact Cassie at cassie@sunacommunications.com or on 07 3200 8490.