From quick texts that amount to “LOL” and emojis to more detailed emails, texts and social media posts, we communicate through screens.  Just like in true conversation, some messages can cause conflict. So, how do we avoid those? Learn how to create messages the RITE way.

Writing texts, emails and social media posts seems easy. Most days, everything goes smoothly. But, once in a while, we hit a digital snag and a conflict erupts. Perhaps one of these scenarios sounds familiar or has even happened to you:

1. Someone sends you a text, email or social media message that riles you up so feverishly you reply back quickly and let loose on the other person.

2. You sent an email or text intended for one person but send it to another person by mistake…or to a group of people?

Communication is tricky. Add screens to the mix and we can find ourselves in conflict with other people. Even as adults, learning to craft a message that has the right content and tone isn’t always simple. Sometimes our emotions get the best of us.

So, what’s the solution? Learn to create messages in a different way…the RITE way.

Try this method out next time you want to send a message on any digital venue:

R: Reread every message to be sure it sounds OK and is what you really want to send.
I: Imagine if you were the person receiving the message…would you be upset or hurt by what it says?
T: Think about the timing of the message. Build in a pause for every message and re-read it again to be sure it doesn’t contain anything inflammatory or insulting.  Sometimes we find that this extra re-reading step helps us either edit the message or decide to not send it.
E: hit the Enter button only after you are satisfied that R-I-T are to your satisfaction.

You want to receive the right messages. So, make sure you always send the RITE ones.