E-tiquette for the New Year
I often use this space to report on interactive technology trends in business. This time I'd like to take a moment to reflect on how all of us in business use technology to interact with one another—and suggest five resolutions to help make 2008 a kinder, gentler, and more productive year.
#1 Improve your email manners
Email is an integral part of doing business for all of us. By now, you'd think most people would know how to use it thoughtfully and productively. Guess again. Take this quiz on email etiquette and you will probably surprise yourself. The site that houses the quiz is filled with great tips on improving your email manners. My personal favorite is the Rule of Three which states: "if you have emailed back and forth with the same person on the same topic more than three times, it is time to pick up the phone and have a conversation." Another great source is Judith Kallos' book, Because Netiquette Matters.
#2 Put down the PDA
In a 2007 AOL survey on email addiction, it was revealed that email use on portable devices has nearly doubled since 2004, and as a result, people are checking email around the clock. According to the survey, the average email user checks mail about five times a day (for many of us it is more like 500), and 59% of those with portable devices are using them to check email every time a new message arrives. 43% of email users with portable devices say they actually keep the device nearby when they are sleeping to listen for incoming mail. Want to increase productivity in any business? Put down the PDA—even the stylish looking iPhones. While checking email is certainly a part of any job, it should not be confused with actual work. I'm not talking cold turkey—just setting limits. You'll get more done. Check out this video to see if you have the warning signs of Crackberrry Addiction.
#3 Take the madness out of mobile
I recently attended a funeral and five minutes into the service a mobile phone rang in the church bench behind me. And the person answered it. Sad but true story. I won't go on a rant about where the world is going when people need to be reminded to turn off their phones in school, at the theater or even in church. But I'd like to think we can make a difference. Microsoft lists the top 10 dos and don'ts of mobile calling on their small business center site. You'll find lots of great tips here such as, "Never take a personal mobile call during a business meeting. This includes interviews and meetings with co-workers or subordinates." Here's a personal tip you won't find on the Microsoft list. If someone you don't know starts having a personal conversation on their mobile and they are within 10 feet of you, join the conversation. Offer an opinion. Add a colorful comment. Even insist on speaking with the person on the other end. It's a great mobile call stopper. And quite amusing.
#4 Improve conference call etiquette
The office phone. We've all been using it to make conference calls for so long that hardly anyone thinks about it. But what most people really don't think about are the people on the other end of the line. Why else would people conference in from a mobile phone in a convertible and turn the entire call into what sounds like a wind tunnel test. Or call in from an airport without using a mute button. Here's a quick read with some very good basics on conference call courtesy.
#5 Know when to text
Most of the rules that apply to email also apply to text messaging. But somehow people think that texting is more acceptable in more situations. It isn't. It's not unusual to be having a conversation with a co-worker these days while he or she has a completely separate text conversation with someone else. Simply put, it’s rude. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with these top 10 rules of texting. Your colleagues will thank you for it—hopefully face-to-face and not in a text.
There you have it. Five tips that can make the workplace more productive and more polite. Now I gotta go. A text message just came in.
Comments
Hey, Steve:
Happy New Year!
Thanks for the mention of my site and book -- topics so many need to brush up on! Especially when it comes to Business E-mail Etiquette.
Maybe your readers would like to stop by NetManners.com and check out my article Business E-mail Etiquette Basics?
Thank again! Here's to a prosperous New Year!
Take care ~
Judith | NetManners.com
Posted by: Judith | January 2, 2008 02:12 PM