Effective Communication:
Is E-mail Suitable?
Effective
communication implies that you are actually communicating.
A client
at a company I was dealing with asked for my help. I sent him an E-mail
message and a week later I received a reply along with his fax number and some other
requests. He wrote that he would prefer that I fax my response. When I met with him he
explained that his organization uses E- mail to send product updates and sales figures
to sales staff on the road. E- mail isn’t a general communication tool in his company. As
a result, he and his staff check their E- mail only once a week. I, on the other hand, use
E-mail constantly, and check my electronic in- box once an hour.
Be sure
to ask what communication method people prefer.
Many people are permanently connected to their computer
network and receive E-mail messages as they arrive. Those in
other organizations, or in a home office, check their E-mail less frequently. Realize that
your recipients may use their E- mail systems differently than you do.
If you
use E-mail as a method of delegating tasks, do you assume that the recipient will
carry out the task without the opportunity to discuss it? If something is truly urgent, a
telephone call may be a better way of relaying the importance of the task and discussing
alternatives.
1. Formatting E-mail messages
