(This column is adapted from Bruce Tulgan’s new book from Jossey-Bass/Wiley, “The 27 Challenges Managers Face: Step by Step Solutions to (Nearly) All of Your Management Problems.”)
In today’s high-tech world, more and more managers tell us that employees sidestep one-on-one meetings and prefer instead to communicate via electronic message. Electronic communication can be a powerful tool for effective communication—especially asynchronous communication—but sloppy e-communication practices are a nuisance. As such, make sure your direct reports learn and practice good e-mail discipline. Teach them the following:
• Send fewer and better messages.
• Beforesendinga message, alwaysask yourself if this is really something that should be communicated in-person at a one-on-one meeting.
• Send first drafts to yourself.
• If you are “messaging” so you don’t forget, then send the reminder to yourself!
• Only cc people who need to be cc’d.
• Use red flags and other indicators sparingly and with true purpose.
• Make subject lines smart, and if the topic changes in a reply, update the subject line so it is still relevant— context is everything.
• Make messages brief, simple, and orderly.
• Create a simple folder system for filing incoming and outgoing electronic communication based on how you will use them later.
• Establish time blocks daily when you will review and respond to electronic communication and let people know when to expect your responses.
