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Are you using e-mail to avoid meaningful communication? By Terry Bragg If you feel swamped with e-mail, you are not alone. The bad news is that your e-mail problem will probably get worse. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal cites a Ferris Research study concluding that the average corporate e-mail user gets about 30 messages a day. They also spend more than two hours a day dealing with the e-mail messages. The study predicts e-mail messages will increase by 35% to 50% in the next year. If this rate of increase continues, by 2002, employees may spend four hours a day on e-mail. I suspect two major conditions create and perpetuate this situation. First, many people use cc (the copy command) to c.y.a. (cover your anatomy). They copy everyone they can think of so they can’t be accused of not informing someone. Unfortunately, these same people do not apply the basic rules for writing effective e-mails. They also don’t realize that their copied e-mails are going unread in the avalanche of on-line messages. The result: people remain uninformed. Second, many employees use e-mail to avoid meaningful communication. They use e-mail to avoid talking with others in person or on the telephone. This is a big problem with people who lack interpersonal skills. You know the type: they’re good with things but not with people. Employees send e-mail messages to a person across the hall or across their cubicle wall instead of walking over and talking with them. They avoid the personal touch. Talking to people helps build relationships, and relationships are important for getting things done. People make the mistake of believing written communication is more precise than spoken communication. It’s harder to communicate in writing than it is to talk to people. Written communication is more open to misinterpretation than spoken communication because people lose the opportunity to observe nonverbal signals that help make sense out of the message. They also lose the opportunity to give and receive instant feedback to assure others have understood their messages correctly. Nonverbal signals are a major part of meaningful communication. Although your words are very important, most of the message others receive depends upon how you say the words. With e-mail, the reader adds the nonverbal part to your written message. They may misinterpret your message by adding voice inflection or emphasis or tonality that you didn’t intend. If you doubt this, consider the last "flaming e-mail" that lit your office area. These are hilarious if you are not a participant in the game. Here is how the flame begins. Someone sends someone else an innocent e-mail. The recipient takes something in the e-mail the wrong way and takes offence. The offended party responds with a counterattack. Lines are drawn, escalation begins and a flurry of flaming e-mails soars across the Internet. Follow these tips to improve your e-mail communication: • CC people who will read and use your email. If you have a question about sending someone routine reports or messages, ask them if they want to receive the messages and if they use them. Don’t be offended if they don’t want to get your message. Remember, if you send it and they don’t want it, then they won’t read it. • Talk to people. If the person is accessible and you don’t need written documentation of your conversation, then talk to them. Be personable. • Don’t assume others understand your e-mail exactly as you intended it. For important issues follow up and look for signs of misinterpretation. Be proactive in preventing a problem. • Have an objective third party review your e-mail on sensitive topics that may stir an emotional response from the receiver. • If you receive e-mail that you don’t want and don’t read, let the sender know. Help stop the practice of sending useless e-mail. If the sender is your boss, then be tactful. In a couple of years, you could be spending half your day addressing e-mail issues. Or, more likely, you will be working an extra half a day on e-mail while doing your real job. Don’t contribute to this trend, start talking to people. Replace unread and unwanted e-mail with meaningful communication. Terry Bragg and Peacemakers Training offers a variety of tools for promoting, maintaining, and recognizing excellence in your workplace. We also offer tools for helping you achieve and maintain personal excellence. To learn more about these tools, click here: Tools for Workplace and Personal Excellence To find out more about Terry's book, 31 Days to High Self-Esteem, click here: 31 Days to High Self-Esteem To learn more about onsite seminars and workshops for improving interpersonal relationships, resolving conflict, and promoting and maintaining excellence in your workplace, click here: Seminars & Workshops ©2000 All rights reserved Terry Bragg•Peacemakers Training Terry Bragg runs a company called Peacemakers Training in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is the author of the book 31 Days to High Self-Esteem. He works with organizations to create a workplace where people want to work, and with managers who want their people to work together better. If you want your organization or your people to have more energy, more trust, more respect, and more meaning, please contact him at: Peacemakers Training Subscribe to our Free |
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