Business Communication Best Practices Presented

View Full Session Here → Business Etiquette in Leadership Certification

Managers and organizations consistently name one frustration above the rest: communication that is unclear, incomplete, or delivered the wrong way. In this session, business etiquette trainer Nisha Trivedi walks through what effective business communication actually looks like in practice. Her core point is that it is not just what you say, it is how you say it. Delivery and content have to work together, and every message should be clear, concise, and correct.

About the Presenter

Nisha Trivedi is a business etiquette trainer certified and licensed by the Emily Post Institute. She is the author of the LinkedIn Learning course "Business Etiquette for the Modern Workplace," has been quoted in Bloomberg and the New York Post, and serves as a Senior Consultant at MBA Mission. Nisha holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania.

Related Courses With Nisha Trivedi

Five Questions to Ask Before You Hit Send

Nisha opens with a checklist that takes about ten seconds to run and prevents most communication problems before they start.

What do I need to communicate? Is this just the facts, such as a meeting recap with next steps, or is it nuanced and sensitive?
What is the best medium for this message? Email, a phone call, a text, an instant message. Using the wrong medium for the moment is one of the most common mistakes she sees.
Am I striking a considerate and respectful tone? What you think you are saying and how it lands are often two different things.
Do I need to send this now, or should I wait and reflect? Waiting also gives you time to confirm every fact is actually in the message, down to the time zone.
Am I comfortable if this gets forwarded? Written messages can be seen, printed, or passed along to someone you never intended.

The Bulletin Board Rule

One of the first things Nisha learned at the Emily Post Institute was the bulletin board rule: if you would not be comfortable posting it on a bulletin board for anyone to read, do not email it, text it, instant message it, post it, or leave it on a voicemail. Another version she has heard recently is to ask what happens if the message runs on the front page of the New York Times tomorrow. Words live forever, so protect confidentiality and assume your message may travel further than you planned.

When Words Alone Are Your Image

Written communication strips away facial expression and tone of voice, and interpretation tends to default to the negative. A one word reply with a period at the end reads as fine to one person and terse to another. That gap is why Nisha recommends using email primarily for the facts: who, what, when, and where.

The why, your personal opinion, and bad news are a different matter. If a colleague has left the organization, the facts belong in an email. The reasons behind the departure and how you feel about it belong in a private conversation, not in a message that can be forwarded.

She is equally direct about using written channels to dodge discomfort. Do not use email, text, Slack, or Teams to avoid a difficult situation. Nisha described a marketing forecast disagreement that circled through an email chain with sales and finance until she suggested a call. She booked thirty minutes and the issue was resolved in thirteen, cordially and constructively, after days of strain over email.

Common Email Pitfalls

Incomplete, unclear, or incorrect information. The follow-up questions cost more time than getting it right the first time.
Inappropriate tone. Writers often do not intend the harshness a reader picks up.
Wrong medium. Sensitive, confidential, or tense topics belong in a live conversation.
Misgendering. Nisha corresponded with an overseas vendor for months before learning she had assumed the wrong gender. Use neutral pronouns until you know.

Email Best Practices

Let it simmer. When you are frustrated or exhausted, draft the message, step away, and return with fresh eyes before sending.
Watch the To and Subject fields. Confirm the recipient, and start a new thread when the subject line no longer describes what the conversation has become.
Be careful with reply all. Nisha was once on an alumni thread where a single question went to thousands of people.
Proofread. Grammar, word choice, and spelling errors multiply when you are tired or rushed.
Use text speak and emoticons sparingly. A smiley face can defuse tension with a peer. It is a different decision when you are writing to the CEO. Avoid all caps entirely.
Match the level of formality to the reader. How you write to a coworker is not how you write to an executive or an external client. Wait to be invited before using a first name in formal settings.

Texting Etiquette at Work

Texting has moved into the workplace, and the small screen changes the rules. Keep the ask simple and limit yourself to one question per message. Think about tone before hitting send. Proofread carefully, because autocorrect is not getting better. Confirm you are texting Rachel from work and not Rachel from college. Keep it short enough that no one has to scroll. And when a thread starts going back and forth, pick up the phone.

Thank You Notes Are Underrated

Nisha closes on a positive note, and it is one of the most practical parts of the session. Email works for most thank you notes, and the standard window is within twenty four hours of the event or interview. Handwritten notes are worth the effort for genuinely significant moments: a major favor, a long professional relationship, a milestone, or a formal written invitation.

Whatever the format, keep it to three to five sentences, write a separate note to each person you met with, and reference something specific from the interaction that resonated with you. Offering something in return keeps the relationship two sided. Her sample note thanked the host for a reception, named the speaker who made the event valuable, and offered restaurant recommendations for the host's upcoming vacation. That level of specificity is what makes a note memorable.

Where AI Fits

Asked how AI changes the picture, Nisha was measured. AI can help structure a follow-up email or clarify language, and it can be a reasonable starting point for summarizing a long message. Her concern is what gets lost. AI drafted writing can read as impersonal, and if the message does not sound like you, it puts distance between you and the recipient. Summaries can also miss a fact or the human nuance a person would catch. She described putting travel dates into a chatbot and getting a confidently wrong day of the week in return. Use it as a starting point, then verify.

Handling Action Items in Email

One attendee asked about action items, which is where misunderstandings pile up fastest. Nisha's advice: send the recap within twenty four hours, name the owner and the specific task for each item, note any collaboration required, include the completion date, and stay open to questions. Depending on your team's culture, offering to send calendar reminders for each action item can close the remaining gap.

Keep Building These Skills

Communication is one of the main pillars of a workplace people actually want to work in, and it is a skill you can keep sharpening. CareerLearning courses are designed for the people that do the work, with professional development and continuing education built around what you face on the job.

If you want to go deeper, Nisha's Business Etiquette in Leadership Certification covers setting expectations, handling difficult interpersonal interactions, exchanging feedback, leading through change, and working across generations. That paid certification program has been approved for 3.0 general recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute, and is valid for 3.0 PDCs for the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. Recertification credit applies to that paid program only and is not available for this free recorded webinar.