Respectful Digital Communication: Best Practices for Junior Managers in WhatsApp Groups

In today's digital workplace, effective communication within team messaging platforms like WhatsApp is crucial. For junior managers, understanding the nuances of digital etiquette is essential to maintaining professionalism and fostering a collaborative environment. This article explores the importance of respecting communication hierarchies, especially when interacting with senior managers, and provides practical use cases to illustrate best practices. By mastering respectful digital communication, junior managers can contribute meaningfully without disrupting the flow of important discussions, thereby enhancing team dynamics and ensuring clarity in organizational messages. Key concepts such as digital body language, professional respect, and communication timing will be emphasized to guide junior managers in navigating these virtual interactions successfully.

Here are several use cases that illustrate why it is generally not appropriate for a junior manager to post quickly behind a senior manager in a WhatsApp group and divert attention:

Use Case 1: Announcement of Important Company News

Scenario: A senior manager posts an important announcement about a new company policy in the WhatsApp group. The policy affects all employees and requires immediate attention and understanding.

Inappropriate Action: A junior manager immediately follows this post with a message about a team lunch or an unrelated project update.

Impact:

• Confusion: Employees might miss the important announcement due to the immediate shift in focus.
• Disrespect: It can be perceived as disrespectful to the senior manager, as it undermines the significance of their message.
• Professionalism: It reflects poorly on the junior manager’s professionalism and understanding of digital etiquette.

Appropriate Action: The junior manager should wait until the important announcement has been acknowledged and discussed before posting about other topics.

Use Case 2: Urgent Operational Update

Scenario: A senior manager shares an urgent operational update that requires the team to take immediate action, such as a change in project deadlines or critical feedback from a client.

Inappropriate Action: A junior manager quickly follows up with a question about vacation schedules or an unrelated team-building activity.

Impact:

• Distracting Attention: The urgent update might not get the attention it requires if the conversation is quickly diverted.
• Miscommunication: Important details of the urgent update could be overlooked, leading to potential operational issues.

Appropriate Action: The junior manager should allow sufficient time for the team to absorb and respond to the urgent update before introducing new topics.

Use Case 3: Strategic Planning Discussion

Scenario: A senior manager initiates a strategic planning discussion for an upcoming project, seeking input and ideas from the team.

Inappropriate Action: A junior manager immediately posts a detailed update on their own project, which is not related to the strategic discussion.

Impact:

• Disruption: The flow of the strategic discussion is interrupted, causing confusion and potentially derailing the conversation.
• Hierarchy: It disregards the senior manager’s attempt to steer the conversation towards important strategic goals.

Appropriate Action: The junior manager should contribute to the strategic discussion first, aligning their input with the topic at hand. Any unrelated updates should be saved for a later time.

Use Case 4: Recognition and Praise

Scenario: A senior manager posts a message recognizing a team member’s outstanding performance, aiming to boost morale and encourage others.

Inappropriate Action: A junior manager follows this with a message about a minor team issue or complaint.

Impact:

• Undermining: The positive impact of the recognition is diminished by shifting the focus to a negative or unrelated issue.
• Team Morale: It can negatively affect team morale by overshadowing the praise and appreciation intended by the senior manager.

Appropriate Action: The junior manager should join in the recognition, adding to the positive reinforcement. Issues or complaints should be addressed separately and at an appropriate time.

Digital Body Language Considerations

Scenario: A senior manager uses the WhatsApp group to set a tone for digital communication, showing how to interact professionally and respectfully in a digital space.

Inappropriate Action: A junior manager consistently posts immediately after the senior manager without considering the context or waiting for discussions to settle.

Impact:

• Perception: This behavior can be perceived as an attempt to overshadow or compete with the senior manager.
• Respect: It shows a lack of digital etiquette and respect for the established hierarchy and communication norms.

Appropriate Action: The junior manager should observe and learn from the senior manager’s digital communication style, waiting for appropriate moments to contribute and ensuring their messages add value to the conversation.

In all these use cases, the underlying principle is to respect the flow of communication and the digital hierarchy. Junior managers should be mindful of timing and content, ensuring their contributions are respectful and relevant to the ongoing conversation. This demonstrates professionalism, respect for senior leadership, and effective digital communication skills.

Reference:

1. Dhawan 2021: Dhawan, E. Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2021, ISBN 9781250246523
2. Finch 2019: Finch, S. What is digital body language in L&D? – Thinqi, 30/8/2021- https://thinqi.com/content-hub/blog/behind-the-screen-interpreting-digital-body-language-in-ld
3. Ishmael 2021: Ishmael, A. Sending Smiley Emojis? They Now Mean Different Things to Different People. The Wallstreet Journal, Aug. 9, 2021, 12/8/2021