It is important to understand that you must be civil in your communications with others.  Remember, however, that the content of your communication is as important as the tone. Do not clutter your communications with superfluous statements. Professional communications should provide essential information, and do so in clear terms. You should only make statements that are objectively defensible and necessary.

 

Try to avoid communications that are ambiguous. Be precise. If you have the sense that your communications have been misunderstood, take the time to clarify to clear up any misunderstanding. As long as you are respectful, your efforts to ensure clarity in the face of a potential misunderstanding should be appreciated by your audience.  The key is to keep communications on point and to guard against offending the other party in your oral and written communications.