Corner Office: Uses, Abuses of E-mail
Aug. 28 -- Technology is a wonderful thing. Thanks to microwave ovens we can overcook food faster than ever. ATMs let us empty our checking accounts in record time. And e-mail revs miscommunication to lightning speed.
At least on the e-mail front, it doesn't have to be that way. E-mail can be a valuable tool. But many e-mail boxes are jammed with more excess than Imelda Marcos' shoe closet. They're stuffed with junk mail, jokes, love letters and sometimes with incendiary material that makes the secret files of the tobacco giants pale in comparison.
Then there's the superfluous stuff we send just because it's easy. (One manager never cured an employee of her habit of sending him e-mail asking him to check voicemail that directed him to notes left on his desk). That leaves only a fraction of material that's actually useful. But you can help turn the tide.
Taking Action
Don't hide behind e-mail. Some managers rely on e-mail in lieu of face-to-face conversation. It's especially tempting when people are off-site, such as telecommuters, vendors or independent contractors.
But using e-mail for everything makes about as much sense as hoping your doctor can make a diagnosis without ever seeing you. Unless you're the Marion Jones of typing, e-mail is too time-consuming. E-mail is more easily misinterpreted because it doesn't allow for give-and-take discussion, and people aren't guided by facial expressions and vocal intonations.
And the more dependent you are on e-mail, the more mysterious you become. Even the Wizard of Oz learned that being the man behind the curtain only gets you so far. Go down the hall, hang out in the lunchroom, or pick up the phone at least some of the time.
Use e-mail intelligently. Just because you can use e-mail doesn't mean you should. Limit your use to concise messages:
Request, confirm or change appointments.
Remind people of deadlines.
Make announcements (for example, which days the office will be closed for holidays).
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