Transitioning your mentoring relationship from in-person to online.
A necessary precaution to help minimise the Corona virus spreading further in London.
The management team and I would like to thank everyone for transitioning their mentoring relationship from in-person to online. This is a necessary precaution to help minimise the Corona virus spreading further. As per the Government’s social distancing and self isolation instructions, communication will primarily be digital until further notice. Accordingly, please do your best to follow our 10 online etiquette rules listed below:
1) Spell people’s name correctly and respect any accent marks. Please use upper and lower cases properly e.g. my name is spelt Déolá Ònásanwó.
2)Think twice before hitting ‘reply all’ and do not send non-Pink Dynasty related messages in your mentee or mentor WhatsApp group chats. No one wants to read emails that have nothing to do with them, or be spammed with marketing material. As you can appreciate, it can be difficult to ignore notifications and emails that continuously pop-up on our screens. Therefore, please think carefully about why you are sending the message and if it is necessary for everyone to receive it.
3) Be sensitive to the fact that people from different cultures speak and write differently. Miscommunication can easily occur because of cultural differences, especially in the writing form when we can’t see peoples’ body language.
4) To avoid misunderstandings, keep tabs on your tone. Always read your message out loud before hitting send. If it sounds harsh to you, it will definitely sound harsh to others. Try to avoid using negative words, and always say “please” and “thank you”. Being courteous and exhibiting good manners will always be received well in social settings, especially when communicating with each other online.
5) Don’t write anything that would be ruinous to you or hurtful to others. After all, emails can be forwarded at anytime, so to be safe, always be kind and respectful.
6) Always use professional salutations in your emails. Don’t use colloquial (informal) expressions like, “Hey you guys,” or “What’s up?”. Use discretion when addressing people online, especially if you do not have a personal or familiar relationship with the recipient(s).
7) Do not shorten anyone’s name, unless you’re certain they prefer their name to be shortened. For example, my name is Adéolá, however, as mentioned at the induction event, I prefer to be called Déolá or Dee. To avoid disrespecting people, always ask what a person likes to be called, never assume.
8) Always use exclamation points sparingly. If you choose to use an exclamation point, please only use one to convey your excitement. Additional exclamation points make you sound like you are angry or shouting.
9)Proofread every message. Unfortunately, our mistakes won’t go unnoticed by the recipient(s). Read your note aloud, before sending. Remember to use spell check and if you suffer from dyslexia (like I do) try to take extra time when writing, and if possible ask for a second pair of eyes to review/edit your message.
10) Always add the email address(es) last, and double-check that you’ve selected the correct recipient(s).When you are replying to a message, it’s a good precaution to delete the recipient’s email address and insert it only when you are sure the message is ready to be sent.
Thanks again for your continued commitment and support, together we can get through this difficult and uncertain time.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
Best regards,
Déolá
Adéolá Ònásanwó, MBA
Managing Director, Pink Dynasty CIC