We love our e-mail. We can’t wait for the “bing” that tells us another message has arrived. It is quick and efficient; it allows us to communicate instantaneously over time zones and rooftops. We wake up to it in the morning and check it before we go to bed at night…some even sleep with it. It is fabulous…or is it??

We at Ignite have trained thousands of people in the art of effective communication. It is the foundation of many other development sessions we deliver and at each session there comes the time when we address email. Almost universally, organizations we are in will say that it is their primary source of communicating, and almost universally, they will say it creates the most chaos. How come? Well, let’s review:

Message, not dialogue…

First, remember this is a tool for a one-way conversation, not a full-fledged dialogue. Often this slick, fast tool becomes slow and cumbersome, because we decide to carry on full-blown conversations over e-mail. This often causes confusion, which quickly escalates into misunderstanding, that often ends in having to have a call or a meeting anyway. That certainly saved you time! If the e-mail comes back to you more than once after you’ve sent it, pick up the phone or go see the person.

CYA emails…

We all love these. I deliberately send you an email, so I can have a record of what I said, so that I can get you later if need be. Not the best way to establish trust is it? Don’t do it.

“Avoid conflict at all cost” emails…

I don’t actually want to talk to you when I have something to say that might feel risky, so I email it; then I don’t actually have to face your answer or rebuttal. Of course, in the end, it has to be handled face to face anyway and by that time the recipient is so upset it is twice as hard to address. Learn to deal with conflict, not to avoid it. Go to weigniteit.com to learn more about how.

The discipline email…

Your supervisor decides to give you critical feedback via e-mail. This is wrong on so many levels; I can’t imagine it still happens. The loyalty and respect for that supervisor has just hit a new low. Oh yeah, and he also copied his boss on the e-mail, just to twist the knife a little more. Brilliant! Never give criticism over email; there is too much room for miscommunication.

So this suggests just a few of the reasons that email can be evil and a tool that promotes miscommunication, as opposed to effective communication. So what can you do in your organization to minimize these pitfalls?

1) Establish an email etiquette policy:

This is important for professionalism, efficiency and protection. Having a written policy conveys a professional image, keeps e-mail succinct, and limits risks that can otherwise end up in costly lawsuits

2) Give feedback on emails you receive from your employees:

It is helpful to give consistent feedback, so employees know if their emails are appropriate. You should also monitor emails sent from your company to others and occasionally conduct an email audit.

*Keep the following tips handy:

1. Be concise and to the point.
2. Internally, use email for one way communication.
3. Answer all questions, and preempt further questions.
4. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation.
5. Watch your tone.
6. Answer swiftly.
7. Use proper structure & layout.
8. Do not overuse the high priority option.
9. Do not write in CAPITALS.
10. Don't leave out the message thread.
11. Read the email before you send it.
12. Do not overuse Reply to All.
13. Be careful with formatting.
14. Do not forward chain letters.
15. Do not request delivery and read receipts.
16. Do not ask to recall a message.
17. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission.
18. Do not use email to discuss confidential information.
19. Use a meaningful subject.
20. Use active instead of passive voice.
21. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT.
22. Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive,
racist or obscene remarks.
23. Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters.
24. Keep your language gender neutral.
25. Don't reply to spam.

*Some tips taken from emailreplies.com

That should help keep the evil out of email and return it to a tool of high efficiency and increased productivity.

What email evils have you experienced? Email us and let us know!
To find out more on how to be a master communicator, visit weigniteit.com.

Hey... glad you found us! Welcome to the newest addition to Ignite’s ever expanding social networking venues - THE BLOG! That’s right... we have taken the plunge and decided to fire up our summer with becoming expert bloggers. The whole idea for our blog is to spark your brain and your business by providing you with cutting edge business strategy, insightful and useful management development tools and articles that share information on how to make your business stronger. We will discuss, among other things, how to have a clear and succinct vision, how to enroll, engage and excite your teams, and also share with you best practices on creating dynamic organizations.

We want to hear from you, too. We love dialogue and debate and encourage you to jump into the fire with us and join in the conversation. Share with us your ideas and best practices and see if we can create some real synergies among businesses out there.

If you’re looking for a way to fire yourself up and have some great learning and sharing, then you have come to the right place because our goal is to ... IGNITE YOU!

“To blog or not to blog?” - I guess that really isn’t the question anymore! But what is the question???

I have been a skeptic, a stick in the mud, a curmudgeon. My company, Ignite, just recently went to an online newsletter from sending out a paper version, for god’s sake. Now I understand that we have to get rid of that and “blog” it. It is not that I am against progress, speed, ingenuity, free speech or opinions; in fact, those who know me well, think I have more opinions than Rush Limbaugh (as if that’s possible). What I am wondering is - what does the blog actually do - what does it actually mean? So I did some research.

Here is what I learned: Blogs can set you apart as an expert in your field. Blogs increase your exposure as a person and a professional. Blogs can enhance your webpage. Good blogs are done by people who are deep, creative thinkers. They have passion and interests and take time to express those interests in a unique way that makes people want to be part of the conversation. I learned that everyone should blog, but not all blogs are good. Some think blogs take too much time, without much return. Some say you need to blog a minimum of a year, before you can even tell if a return is possible. We, at Ignite, are just about to start to blog, and I realized from my research, that we are way behind. What is new to me is old to many.

So, it sounds like the upside outweighs the down, so clearly we should be blogging. So what is really bothering me? I guess it is the anonymity of it. Ignite is a training and development firm and we believe that face to face, interactive development creates positive change for individuals and companies. We do not think you get the same results from online training or virtual development. It feels like blogging is a bit that way. There is no true back and forth, where you can hear people’s voices or their tone, or see the energy in their body; asking questions in real time with dialogue feels different from typing. It feels like it is missing something.

There is another reason for my discomfort. I miss paper and pen. My mother is ill; she has end stage Alzheimer’s. Recently, we have been going through her “stuff”. There was lots of junk, but then we found a treasure trove of letters - letters back and forth between her and my father, letters between her and my grandparents, and letters from camp from my sisters and me to my parents - a wonderful, fabulous, rich, written history. I realize that my son will not have this experience, because for more than 15 years, the majority of my correspondence has all been via e-mail and online communication. My son and his friends hardly talk, much less write - they all text. It seems very sad to me.

I know this is the way of the future, or the way of the now, I guess I should say. So the question is answered! It is definitely not: “to blog or not to blog?” anymore; the question today is: “how can I create great content for my blog?” So we will blog and text and twitter, and I will do it happily, because I want to be the smart, creative blogger that engages people to be part of the conversation. It is my hope that through blogging we will not lose the personal connection, but increase it. You will get to know us and our service offerings better; the relative anonymity of our previously-static website will be enhanced and personalized by our blogging efforts; and ultimately, our blogs will help you make the decision to call us and make that connection.

What have your blogging experiences been like? Have they gained connections for you? We encourage your thoughts and feedback. To learn more about us go to: www.weigniteit.com and become the spark in your organization.