These communication tips can streamline your internal organizational communications over email, phone and AxisTV technologies. However, changing your organizational culture will take time and effort. Without support from higher management and adoption by coworkers, your personal commitment to these tactics will not yield as much fruit.

 

Consider organizing a launch meeting to discuss the reasons behind implementing the new policies and the benefits you expect them to produce. You may also want to consider time management courses or MS Outlook training for your staff.

 

Make sure you set benchmarks and check progress every few months. Within 90 days, you and your teams could see a significant decrease in email communications, and an increase in true communication and efficiencies.

 

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Rule No. 1: Think of the person with whom you are communicating!

What is the best timesaving solution for them?

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  Recommended Response Scale:

• Under 1 hour – SMS (or call where SMS is not available)

• Less than 4 hours – call

• Same day – email with high importance

• Within three business days – email with normal importance

• At reader’s convenience – email with low importance

• General announcements – AxisTV and Intranet

• Emergency announcements – AxisTV Alert Mode, SMS, phone (follow your crisis communications plan)

  Email Coding:

• Importance – Use the Importance feature in MS Outlook to indicate the priority of your message, according to the Response Scale above. (Access this feature from the exclamation point icon or View/Options at the top of the message during authoring.)

• Sensitivity – Use the Sensitivity menu to mark emails with Personal, Private, or Confidential, when appropriate. Never circulate incoming messages with these characteristics without permission from the author. (Access this feature from View/Options at the top of the message during authoring.)

• Flags – Use the Flag for Follow Up feature to mark the date you require action, and the type (if any) that you require. (Access this feature from the flag icon or View/Options at the top of the message during authoring.)

• Tasks – Add reminders in your MS Outlook tasks section so you can follow up on email deadlines.

• EOM (End of Message) – Put one-sentence questions or statements in the subject line with “(EOM)” at the end so readers don’t have to open the message to read it.  Make sure you have your preview window open with ample room to read full subject lines.

• FYI (For Your Information) – Put “(FYI)” at the beginning or end of a subject line for message that can be read at any time in the future. Two weeks is the maximum that recipients should allow these messages to sit in your Inbox without being read. FYI can also be marked using MS Outlook flags.

Email Work Habits:

• Do not review email first thing when you arrive. This will immediately put you into a reactionary mode and alter and/or delay all of your daily activities. Instead, schedule 2-3 dedicated time periods throughout the day to check and answer email. Use your calendar to schedule email time!

• Turn off ‘Display a notification when new mail arrives’ under Tools/Options/Email Options in MS Outlook. It’s distracting and pulls you away from scheduled tasks. After all, coworkers needing immediate response should call.

• Set daily maximums for email composition. For example, send only 20 messages per day. Combine your responses to several incoming emails in one reply with the original emails inserted as attachments.

• Analyze your emails. If you are sending a lot of emails to one recipient, schedule daily or weekly meeting for
  5-20 minutes to cover topics and include all attachments in the meeting invitation instead of sending separate emails.

• Set up auto-filters to sort emails into folders set up for specific projects, departments or individuals.

• Set up common distribution lists in your MS Outlook Contacts so you don’t have to type in multiple email addresses.

• Use a company-wide calendar to note any time that you will be unavailable for four consecutive hours or more.

Email Composition:

• Set up a complete email signature for both internal and external communications so people have your contact information easily at hand. Use Tools/Options/Mail Format to set up your default signature.

• Use the BCC field for mass distribution lists. This way, you don't inadvertently provide other people's email addresses to the group without their permission. This is especially important when sending to non-employees. Also, this cuts down on email loops when readers use Reply to All.

• Plan your emails before you write them! Editing takes time. Know what you want to say before you write it.

• Use clear and correct subject lines so readers can instantly recognize the topic and can intuitively search for your message later. Stronger subject lines help recipients better understand why they received an email and make it easier to search for in the future. Instead of "Here's the press release" as a heading, use specifics such as "AxisTV Press Release – second draft for your review."

• Don’t bury the lead. Start with the most important information, get to the point right away, and work your way down.

• Use bullet points and underlined or bold text to make messages more clear and concise.

• Strictly limit the use of Reply to All to quash endless CC and BCC loops. Only reply to those you need to.

• When forwarding an email for comment by a new recipient, be sure to eliminate unnecessary text from the original email. Don’t make your reader wade through a long email to understand one specific point you’re trying to pass on.

• Stop using needlessly polite “thank you” or “got it” follow-ups. Respond only if you have comments or are fulfilling a request. If the sender requires a read receipt, they can request one. Use the MS Outlook option "Request a read receipt for this message" if you need to know when it is read.

• Use AxisTV to send out congratulations and motivational notices.

• Use the Intranet and AxisTV to communicate general announcements to all employees. Deliver company-wide documents via the Intranet. Reciprocally, make sure to check the Intranet daily to receive group notices.

• If you have information or graphics that need to be reviewed, but not necessarily stored as a document by the reader, put everything in the body of your email. This saves them from having to open an attachment. (Graphics will require the use of HTML format.)

• Don’t use email to convey subtle nuances or to respond to sensitive or volatile issues. Email is a messaging medium. Some topics may be too sensitive for email and should be handled over the phone or in person. Use careful language in email and remember that the tone is completely determined by the recipient. Emails can often be subpoenaed in court actions.

• As a general rule of thumb, if you have to write more than five paragraphs, walk down the hall or pick up the phone.

• Never circulate unprofessional or offensive material. 

 

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