When interacting virtually, miscommunication can run rampant. So much of our interpersonal interactions as humans are non-verbal. Communicating via Slack or digital chat completely takes that out. Not only do these method take out body language, but also verbal and tonal aspects. Authors of the book No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work, Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy offer important insights in a recent essay on how to avoid digital miscommunications during this rise in virtual collaboration. Here are five of those strategies:

Add Emojis

"Emojis can help us express tone, meaning, and emotional cues," the pair write. A colleague can add a teasing smiley emoji when he says "get those drawings done asap!" in Slack, and the vibe is totally different than if the emoji was absent. However, Fosslien and Duffy recommended getting to know a person before introducing emojis, stating it's better to leave them out in early digital interactions.

Emotionally proofread your messages

Fosslien and Duffy recall a lesson they learned from Brian Fetherstonhaugh, The Worldwide Chief Talent Officer at The Ogilvy Group. "[He] told us that he frequently asks employees if they have ever successfully defused an emotional issue via email," the pair reminisce. "The answer is inevitably no. But when he asks the same if they've ever inflamed an issue via email? Everyone puts their hand up." 

The suggestion here is to re-read emails to make sure they are conveying the proper tone. Yes, it takes a bit more time, but ensuring team members aren't misreading us, it's worth it.

Default to video when possible

Studies have shown that roughly 65 percent of communication is non-verbal. Fosslien and Duffy recount how at Trello, if even one person on a team works remotely, the entire group will hop on a video call to ensure everyone feels included while diminishing the risk for information to be lost. There is a diminishment in relational quality when we can't see another person's facial expressions and body language. When camaraderie and teamwork are so important, these factors become crucial.

Don't be reactive

"If an email makes you enraged, anxious, or euphoric, wait until the next day to write back," the two express. It's always better to wait until we've calmed down, enabling ourselves to see a situation more clearly, and even after that, if possible, we should speak with the other part face-to-face. We can express ourselves more rationally after any initial emotions have subsided, ensuring a more fruitful discussion on the matter at hand.