I’m not sure how I ran across this blog (it is much more technical than I usually read), but I found Cyrus Stoller’s guidance on modern day communication helpful. Cyrus is an entrepreneur and technology consultant, and it would be a great way to start a discussion on how your team communicates with each other.
With more options available for electronic communication, it only makes sense to choose the correct medium for your messages if you’re going to successfully connect with those in your audience.
However, there do not seem to be any well-understood social rules for these interactions. It’s like going to a wedding in the Northwest (which I did last weekend)—some people are wearing expensive suits and others show up in jeans (I’m not kidding).
Is there any generally accepted convention on what’s appropriate in the world of electronic communication? I don’t believe so. But, Stoller’s open message to those he communicates with would be a great way to have this discussion with your team.
We're in an unfortunate equilibrium where it's not uncommon for people to expect under one-hour response times to emails. In my view, emails should not be used to communicate information that requires immediate action.
Most people I interact with have smartphones; we should agree to use different channels of communication to convey purpose. We're no longer restricted to just phone calls and email.
If I had my way this is how I would have people communicate their requests.
Disclaimer: Realistically this will only work with people you communicate with often e.g. employees/co-workers, family, and close friends.
If you need something to be done in:
30 minutes: call
two hours: text
today: IM
a day or later: email
Priority 0 - Voice Call
If you need something to have been done five minutes ago, call my cell phone. This gives you an opportunity to make sure I understand exactly what you need done and you know exactly when I received your request….
Litmus test: If we were in the same room and I was talking to someone else would you feel comfortable breaking up my conversation and taking me aside? If not, then a voice call is not the appropriate choice.
Priority 1 – Text Message
If you need something done in the next couple hours, send me a text that says something like call me asap or call me when you hit a break point.
This gives me time to gracefully wind down what I'm doing and call you back. I think most things that people find urgent fall in this category. It needs to be done soon, but it can wait up to 30 minutes to an hour….
Litmus test: If we were in the same room and I was talking to someone else would you feel comfortable signaling to me to wind down my conversation? If not, then an SMS is not the appropriate choice.
Priority 1a - Instant Messaging
Instant message works well for slightly more asynchronous communication. You're interested in getting a short response promptly, but it doesn't need to be right away. This is less disruptive than calling or texting. This works well when you need to find out a concrete piece of information before you can proceed.
Litmus test: If we were in the same room and I was in the middle of reading something would you feel comfortable leaving me a hand written note? If not, then an instant message is not the appropriate choice.
Priority 2 - Email
Email should be reserved for requests that you want addressed within the next day or so. Ideally it would be acceptable for people to only check their email a few times per day….
Most people I know feel like they have too many emails to deal with. Think twice about whether email is the right way to communicate your information. You should expect email threads to be truly asynchronous. I want people to move away from expecting near real time responses.
Litmus test: Is this request something that you would feel comfortable dropping in an inbox on my desk when I wasn't there? If not, then an email is not the appropriate choice.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you have a convention for communicating with those on your team?
If not, it might be worth discussing as a way of not only streamlining your communication with others, but also managing expectations. Let me know how you’re handling this issue in your organization and I’ll publish a few of the responses (reply via email and don’t expect a response for a couple of days :).
Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.
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