I read a great article by Richard Moran, CEO of Frost & Sullivan, titled: The Worst Workplace Label: Unresponsive. Moran says, “Lots of words come to mind when describing bad traits that show up at work, such as sloppy, lazy, and clueless, but one descriptor is even worse: Unresponsive.”
Why? Because an unresponsive person sends out a message to others that I am too busy to respond or that you are not important enough for me to respond. If you have any desire to make friends, influence people, and get promoted, this is the wrong way to go about it.
If you never want this to be you, embrace these simple email tips:
- Return an email the same day. If you are too busy to craft a thoughtful response, say, “I got it. Stay tuned.”
- Do not unnecessarily CC a long list of people, as it clutters their inboxes.
- Have a clear subject line.
- Be concise.
- Remember, spelling and grammar count.
WHAT CAN I DO? Commit to becoming a better emailer. People are busy. They do not have time to follow-up due to your unresponsiveness, or to read a bunch of emails that are not applicable to them, or to decipher what an email is about because your subject line is unclear. The most important tip? Return emails the same day. Unresponsive people send out a message to others that I am too busy to respond or that you are not important enough for me to respond, which is disrespectful and potentially equivalent to career suicide.
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.