| Effective communication is vital for leadership | | | | 2. Always, always review the names in the To: |
| success. In today's world of instant message, | | | | box before you send. Make sure it will actually go |
| texting, and email, it's easy to forget some | | | | to the right person. I once received an email from |
| common rules that still apply in most situations. | | | | the leader of another part of the large |
| There is a dichotomy here though that leaders | | | | organization I was part of. (He was a level above |
| must understand and accept, even if it doesn't | | | | me and had considerable authority) He explained |
| seem fair. While a leader should strive for | | | | there was yet another delay in their support for a |
| excellence, he or she must also accept the fact | | | | project I was responsible for. I was tired of the |
| that subordinates may not have the same | | | | delays and what I saw as constant excuses for |
| motivation. I've learned that insisting on perfection | | | | putting us off. I immediately forwarded the email |
| in written communication from a shop foreman, | | | | to my boss with a rather scathing, and I must |
| or shift leader was at once an exercise in futility | | | | admit, unprofessional diatribe outlining my |
| and a waste of their time. Often, in the search | | | | dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of service. |
| for perfection, the message is either lost, or | | | | Satisfied that I had made my position clear, I hit |
| becomes irrelevant. | | | | the send button. A short while later, I had calmed |
| Here are some tips I've found useful for written | | | | down a little and decided to pick up the phone and |
| communication. | | | | talk to the boss about the problem. I asked him if |
| 1. Unless you're writing for an academic | | | | he had seen my email. He said he hadn't so I |
| assignment, don't write like you're doing an | | | | looked to make sure it had sent. To my horror, I |
| academic assignment. Your reader will not be | | | | saw that the email had been sent, but not to my |
| impressed. | | | | boss. In my haste I had hit reply instead of |
| 2. Use active voice as much as possible, but | | | | forward. Since then, I've always been careful |
| remember that every sentence does not need to | | | | about checking my emails a little more closely |
| begin with "I." | | | | before hitting the send button. |
| 3. Don't pad your writing. Write like you talk. Using | | | | 3. Be careful using the blind copy (bcc) feature. |
| a lot of extra words clouds your message. | | | | This can get you in trouble if the recipient who |
| 4. When you're finished, read it to yourself. Out | | | | was blind copied forwards the email. Also, some |
| loud. See how it sounds. | | | | people are offended when they find out you sent |
| 5. You are not social networking. Capitalize, use | | | | a blind copy to someone else. |
| punctuation, and avoid undefined acronyms. | | | | 4. Emails at work should present the same |
| Email presents a couple of unique issues to be | | | | professional image as your other written and |
| aware of. | | | | spoken communication. Take the time to review |
| 1. Remember that once sent, an email can live | | | | before sending. |
| forever and you don't control where it goes. Don't | | | | Good communication is a skill that will greatly |
| say anything you don't want the world to know. | | | | increase your effectiveness as a leader. It's worth |
| This rule applies even when writing to friends. | | | | doing right! |