ToneCheck, a software program that works with Microsoft Outlook 2003, 2007 and 2010, helps to ensure your tone is clearly communicated and understood. It acts somewhat similar to an email spell checker, and you can select the suggested alternatives or ignore the advice.
The program evaluates words and phrases for the intensity of eight primary emotions, allowing you to adjust the overall tone before you send your message. ToneCheck scans your messages for terms that may be inadvertently conveying:
• Affection
• Friendliness
• Amusement
• Excitement
• Sadness
• Grief
• Fear
• Uneasiness
• Anger
• Shame
Over 165 billion email messages are sent worldwide each day. The average worker will spend 10 years of their work life dealing with email. And, sometimes, perhaps all too often, email messages are misinterpreted.
In fact, a recent study published by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that its participants understood the tone they were imparting in only about half of their emails. ToneCheck reports that many companies also battle productivity loss triggered by misread employee email.
The wrong tone can turn-off customers, aggravate your partners and frustrate employees.
