02/ 02/ 2006
by Tamara E. Holmes
In today’s digital age, e-mail is a necessity for many businesses, but are your employees using it effectively? If not, the result could be costly. A new survey suggests that people who are not familiar with e-mail etiquette risk alienating employees as well as potential clients and customers. By taking some time to give your employees a few e-mail etiquette tips, you may be doing your business a tremendous service.
E-mails that do not adhere to certain etiquette guidelines can diminish communication between the sender and receiver, cutting productivity and costing your small business money. A survey, conducted by Richmond, Va.-based Cohesive Knowledge Solutions Inc., found that 55 percent of respondents believed the e-mail exchanges between themselves and others in the workplace were ‘poor to fair.’ Those surveyed said they spent two hours a day processing e-mail, and 25 percent of that time was wasted, equating to 15 wasted days annually for each employee.
While some e-mail practices will annoy some and not others, here are a few widely accepted breaches of e-mail etiquette.
Misusing the reply all function. While the reply button allows e-mail recipients to send a message back to the sender, the reply all function sends replies to everyone on the original e-mail list. According to the Richmond study, 75 percent of respondents said they have co-workers who regularly use the reply all function when they should be hitting the reply button. This forces everyone on the original e-mail list to open an e-mail that it doesn't pertain to them.
Forwarding unwanted jokes. While everyone likes a good laugh now and then, a constant stream of forwarded jokes can be annoying. It also can clog up the e-mail server and distract employees from doing their jobs.
Sending obscene or noisy e-mails. E-mail messages that play music or other audio can distract everyone in the office and embarrass the recipient. Likewise, messages that fill the computer screen with graphic photos can create a major stir in the office as well.
Attaching documents to e-mail. Be careful when sending attachments via e-mail because they can transmit computer viruses. Even if you always make sure your employees’ computers are scanned regularly for viruses, clients or customers might not feel comfortable downloading attachments from you. Make sure clients and customers are comfortable with the idea first.
Writing too long. The ideal length of an e-mail is one screen or less. Having to scroll down to read an entire message often distracts readers. Teach employees to write as succinctly as possible. While you don't want them to leave out crucial information, make sure they know that if a message is too long, there might be a better way to communicate.
Foregoing face-to-face interaction. While e-mail can be convenient, there’s no better way to strengthen relationships than by speaking face to face. With e-mail, people must guess the sender’s tone, which could lead to miscommunication. Important messages–– particularly those that are of a negative nature––should never be conveyed via e-mail. Likewise, an employee who sends several e-mails a day risks alienating colleagues who feel inundated by the messages. Instruct employees to be discerning when sending e-mail to make sure they are sending messages in the most effective way.
While e-mail can foster communication and help a business run more smoothly, remember that it has the capability to be abused. By instructing employees on some common e-mail mistakes, you can get the most out of technology without losing productivity in the process.
