Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain You've typed it, deleted it and typed it again. You need to let your colleague know there's a problem with a project at work. Should you use a grinning face—😄—in that Slack message to soften the blow, or an angry face—😠—to show your distress? If you've experienced this type of internal debate, you're not alone. Instant messaging now dominates workplace communication, with 91% of businesses using two or more chat platforms . But when we instant message, we can't see our colleagues' facial expressions. We try to compensate with emojis, using them as stand-ins for non-verbal cues . But do emojis actually help, or can they backfire? My recent study, conducted with colleagues at the University of Ottawa and published in Collabra: Psychology , reveals that emoji choice matters. The emoji you pick, and whether it matches the tone of your message, may impact both how competent your co-workers think you are, and how appropriate your message is for the workplace.…