Open the Damn Mail
As the US Postal Service wrestles with solvency and relevance, a more urgent problem is unfolding in the bowels of servers, the caches of laptops & cell phones, along with the recesses of the nebulous “Cloud.” While the affliction doesn’t have an official name at this point, we know its symptoms: Unopened and unreturned emails. What are the long-term implications of all this bad communication etiquette? Lessened productivity, lower organizational morale, disgruntled clients, disrespected coworkers, and poor professional references. Is there a cure? Absolutely. It begins with the acknowledgement that digital communication, the modus operandi of commerce in 2020, is only effective if end users follow through when the mail hits the inbox.
One of my pet peeves in the work world rises from employees and colleagues who don’t practice effective email etiquette. No, there isn’t just one specific generational group wearing the bullseye on this one (my daughter reminds me how “old” I am for being on Facebook and not actively on Snapchat). While communication channels for instant real time dialogue, engagement and collaboration are on the rise and highly effective for many types of communication, email is still critical. Many may claim that the demands of the job and the volume of communications that arrive impede timely responses and action, I remind them that a breakdown in timely follow through today will lead to greater erosion of productivity, trust, and rapport tomorrow. Let’s be honest… When one sends important information via email, but never hears back from the recipient, we feel disrespected, unheard, and of low priority. Similarly, when one receives a reply, but the recipient responds with a shallow communiqué that indicates that they never fully read the original email, the blood pressure rises. We must do better.
Set and Manage Expectations
Whether I receive an email from a client, colleague, or even a vendor, they can expect an initial response within a matter of hours and most certainly within one business day. If time is abundant, the response may fully and thoughtfully answer the original query, discuss the matter at hand, or, in the case of a social email, reply in kind. If I know that the calendar will not allow for an immediate and thorough response, I simply acknowledge receipt of the communication and share a projected response time. As my team knows, they can expect this sort of responsiveness from me; they also know that I expect the same from them.
Clean the Box
A tidy inbox is an accessible inbox. If you plan on being the type of communicator who’s viewed as responsive, then you must manage the inbox. My personal method for managing my inbox: once an email is handled completely, I file or delete the message and only those emails that remain in my inbox remains my “to-do” list. Nothing sits unread and I get heart palpitations when the inbox is above a certain number. Also, the sift and search method with thousands in the active inbox may work for some, but most definitely not me! Last, if the week consists of back to back conference calls and email response is challenging, then I devote a few hours on the weekend to clean it up.
Be Accountable and Model Accountability
The subheading says it all. When it comes to email, and communication in general, practice and model accountability. When the mail “gets lost,” apologize to its sender. If you are unable to meet the time commitment you’ve set, explain the delay and reset expectations – and then meet them. Read the mail thoroughly. If you skim in the interest of time and end up sending a superficial or nonsensical reply, you’ve wasted the recipient’s time and damaged your own reputation.
Snail mail was easier, no?
