You might be the spammer

Every group has a spammer… and I don’t mean somebody sending scummy emails. I mean the coworker, boss, or friend who floods communication channels with junk nobody else cares about. This short list helps you self-evaluate if you are in fact the spammer.

This is the first in a series of posts about improving communications in workplaces and friend groups.

What is spam?

In this context, we’re talking about messages that have more value to the sender than the receiver. Spam is messaging the recipient doesn’t value, but the sender wants them to receive anyway. The kind of spam we’ll be talking about in this series is usually not intentional. The spammer probably doesn’t realize how their actions are harming team communications, and they’re probably frustrated it seems like others aren’t hearing them.

Spam is highly contextual. Often a message is treated as “spam” because of how it’s sent or formatted, and not because of the content. This article will cover 10 signs your friends or coworkers consider your messages spam. After all, you want to be heard, right?

You might be a spammer if…

1. People don’t respond to your messages or calls.

If it seems like your peers don’t answer your emails or phone calls, you might be a spammer.

2. You use Mail Track to see if anyone reads your emails.

If people appreciate what you’re sending them, they’ll let you know. If it takes tracking technology to know whether friends or coworkers read your emails something is clearly wrong.

3. It’s easy for you to send messages… easier than receiving them.

Your message is harder to read than it was to send it. You know… like those people who send prerecorded voice messages. Easy for the sender, but the person listening to that… they’re probably not psyched.

4. People have to ask what you’re talking about.

People often respond with questions like “what are you talking about?” or “can you explain?” This might indicate your messages are too vague for people to find value in them.

5. The ratio’s all wrong. You get 1 message for every 3-4 you send.

You’re sending 3-4 texts or emails to people who send you one a week. It seems like you’ve got more to say than they do.

6. You’re always asking “did you get my email?”

If you have to ask people if they’re getting your messages there’s a good chance you’re spamming them. Something about the way you’re messaging them might be lowering the perceived value of your messages.

7. People have called you a spammer.

If friends or colleagues have complained about how you message them, you just might be a spammer.

8. Your messages are everywhere.

Do you find yourself sending the same message multiple ways? Rather than just a text, do you carry the same convo across Snapchat, an email, phone calls, and maybe even put up a sign? You know… to make sure people see it.

9. You use “tricks” to make your messages stand out from the crowd.

You spend extra time making your messages flashy or eye catching, or put them in places they can’t be avoided. Are you putting signs up in the bathroom or on the fridge? Are you the one leaving multiple post-it notes about the same thing? You might be a spammer.

10. Someone has directed you to this article.

If a friend or colleague sent you to this article, it probably means they think you need to hear this. Odds are, they value what you have to say, but they have an issue with how you’re saying it. You should treat this as friendly, constructive input about your communication habits.

What if I’m the spammer?

Improving a problem starts with recognizing it. If the above list sounds like habits you’re engaged in, you should consider discussing them with your coworkers or circle of friends to see why they think your messages are spammy. In most cases, it’s probably because the way you’re sending messages is causing an inconvenience for others which makes them less interested in responding.