I apologize for the length of this letter. If there had been sufficient time, I'd have made it shorter.
GOETHE
E-mail is fast replacing faxes and regular mail as the primary written form of communication. The ability to send messages around the world in seconds possesses real advantages over other forms of communication, so one can expect this form of communication to grow at a very rapid rate. Using e-mail effectively will improve the way others view you. Use these tips to be an effective modern-day communicator.
Make communicating responses a priority — particularly those required by
Keep your communications less formal than you normally would. For example, it is not necessary to let people know that you are replying to their letter of such and such a date. They already know these details.
Keep your messages short. This will not only reduce your composition and downloading time, but will also save the reader uploading time and needless eyestrain.
If your message is long, consider sending it as an attachment, enabling the reader to review it off-line.
Write in short paragraphs to get clear messages across. Leave a blank line between paragraphs to make it clear when you are changing thoughts or topics.
Always include a title in the subject line. Make your title
Use the "cc" box if you feel that your information may be of interest to others. However, if you'd rather not let the reader know that you're sending the e-mail to others, include these people in your "bcc" box.
Avoid sending sound and pictures unless you are able to compress them. Failure to do so will extend the downloading time considerably and cause your reader annoyance.
Print and keep a hard copy of important e-
Don't use all capital
While e-mails appear private, they are not. They may be passed on to or retrieved by people with whom you had no
Be mindful of the messages you pass on. Do so very selectively. Messages about virus warnings and contests may interest or amuse you, but they can be annoying to others. Seek people's permission to download information that is outside the boundaries of your regular communications.
When replying,
Don't include a full text of what you received in your return mail unless it's short. Instead, consider copying only those
The better e-mail programs allow you to filter unwanted e-mails. Others that may be less important can be dumped into a folder for review when you have some spare time.
The nice part of living in a small town is that when I don't know what I'm doing, someone else does.
ANONYMOUS
We live in times of turbulent change. People need information to make sense of the things they don't understand. As management typically reacts to these needs, the grapevine will fill in the information gaps for people. Some of the information you will get is true, but a lot will not be. Here are some ways of dealing with the informal information that swirls around you.
AVOID RUMOURS
Take the attitude that it is better to give too much information than too little.
Hold regular briefings. By definition, they should be short. They can be, for example, stand-up meetings in the office or a
Keep a flip chart in your work area. Write news on it regularly. Allow your people to record questions that they want to deal with at your meetings.
Anticipate issues that might provoke negative gossip. Deal with them right away.
DEAL WITH RUMOURS
Never deny the truth or lie. Your credibility will suffer, and trust between you and other people will be jeopardized. Often information
Go to the source of the rumour. Find out if you or your team will be affected. Find ways to position yourself to take advantage of the situation. Develop a plan that will
When you go to the source of a rumour, don't demand answers or put people on the spot. Make it easy for them to help you by asking questions that can be dealt with hypothetically. Ask, for example: "If, at some time in the future, there was a downsizing, which departments would be cut first?" Watch their body language when they answer in order to understand how they feel.
Maintain a positive attitude. Take particular care to do good work, since a deteriorating attitude and work habits will make you stick out like a sore thumb.
Be flexible to change. Look at all the alternatives. Change
Don't add to the rumour mill. If you are passing on hearsay, do so accurately. If you change the information, qualify it for the recipient by saying that it is your interpretation or opinion.
When you are given information that is
Where did you get this information?
How do you know it is true?
Is this a fact or is it your opinion?
Check the accuracy of important messages with your boss. Be frank. Let him know what you have
Avoid going to your boss with every bit of hearsay. You will begin to be seen as a rumour-monger. Speak to her about important issues only.
If your boss does disclose confidential information to you, maintain that confidentiality at all costs; trust is something you have to work hard at to maintain, but it can be lost quickly.
Go to the source to establish the accuracy of a rumour if you feel your boss cannot validate it and
you feel empowered to do so;
it impacts you or your team;
the issue is important.
If you find that a rumour is accurate and it will impact your work area, share it with your boss.
Help your boss develop a strategy to present your information in a manner that will be least disruptive to your area.
Continue to do good work, since any deterioration in your attitude and work habits will make you more vulnerable to any changes that might happen.
Be flexible about the outcome of change. Opportunities are bound to present
Most rumours will have little impact on you, but major changes could be coming if you notice that senior managers are
spending more time in meetings;
looking worried;
talking in lower tones among themselves;
taking phone calls or having more conversations behind closed doors.