Communication Mailbag by Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

We received lots of feedback to my recent column on how e-mail communication is used (and abused) in the workplace. 

Colin Weir from Toms River wrote in with the following “best practice;”  “One of my favorite email practices that I wish was more widely known is ‘EOM’, as in ‘end of message.’  The idea is that for short messages that will fit in the average person’s subject line field, you need not go beyond the subject line.  For example; ‘10 a.m. marketing meeting cancelled EOM.’  Nothing more is needed, and the recipients can simply delete it and move on.”

What a great idea.  With all the time we waste going back and forth communicating useless and often unnecessary information, this EOM technique could help us be more productive and efficient with the way we manage information and communicate to our various stakeholders, clients and colleagues. 

Jocelyn Thomas from Somerset says she “is still amazed that after more than a decade of people using e-mail, many people still cannot (or will not) do one basic thing—Write clear subject lines.”  Thomas also recommends that we “revise the subject line each time a reply is written.  I find this especially helpful when an e-conversation develops with more than two e-replies and especially when more than two people are e-mailing about a topic.” 

It’s the little things like this, Jocelyn, that make so much difference when communicating.  My sense is that we get lazy sometimes and take short cuts in our e-mail communication.  However, great communication in business and in life is really about getting into good habits and minimizing our bad ones.  Getting into the habit of writing a clear subject line no matter how informal or insignificant you think and e-mail is, can make so much difference in how your message is received and addressed. 

Finally, David Ogden from Montclair, NJ offered the following thoughts on e-mail communication; “When I send e-mails that go to many recipients, I identify the group and why the recipient is getting the email in order to get the recipient’s attention.  For example, I’ll start an email ‘Dear Travel Team Managers’ or ‘Dear Mountain Lions’.  Further, if an e-mail is coming ‘out of the blue’ I’ll start off with ‘You are receiving this email because your child played in town league soccer last fall but we have not received your registration for the spring.’  This lets the recipient know the e-mail is not spam and shows why they should pay attention to it.” 

I like this approach on many levels.  The biggest benefit is when you are copied on such an e-mail, you know why you’ve been copied.  This approach also helps you more clearly define your role on the team and what action is expected of you.  Again, it takes a little more time to communicate in this fashion, but the payoff is that much greater when we invest in this effort.  One of the keys to great communication, whether it is via e-mail, conference call, meeting or whatever the venue is to ask yourself if I were on the receiving end, what would be the most effective and productive way of me receiving this information and then communicate accordingly.  Again, such an empathetic approach pays big dividends both in the workplace and at home. 

Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on communication and leadership and is author of the new book "What Were They Thinking? Crisis Communication: The Good, the Bad and the Totally Clueless" (Rutgers University Press). Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, NJ 07102, or click here to contact him through this web site.