How many ways can email cause negative conflict?
Oh let us count the endless ways…
Reacting emotionally
Email is for hard information not soft emotions – pickup the phone or walk down the hall
Too much information written in paragraphs
Bullets work well, if you need action state so in the subject line
Use as few words possible to communicate your message
Writing something you wouldn’t want on the front page of the newspaper
Emails, just like diamonds, are forever – be thoughtful before you hit send
Expecting it to be read soon
Email is just that ‘mail’; if you need a quick response pick a different method
24 hours is a typical acceptable response time, although industry dependent
Replying to all
Does everyone really need your reply?
Forgetting that you are communicating with a real person
Have you thought about what it would be like to receive what you are about to send?
There is a person with feelings that will read your missive
Include a greeting
Unclear subject line
Be specific in your subject line, this does two things:
Your receiver knows the focus
It is easier to find later
What can you add?
Develop Power with Grace.
Asking thoughtful questions is one aspect.
The best questions foster understanding, spark innovation, diffuse negative conflict, and build influence –
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