Increasingly, executives are finding themselves in a time crunch. They are scheduled for more hours in a day and are bombarded by up to ten times more email, texting and social communications than they ever have been. But, I am going to make the case that they need to spend more time on communications. Mobility has increased our access to email and other social technology applications. It is amazing how easy it is to send a quick update by phone or network device. But, I am seeing a propensity of making many of these communications very short and even more cryptic. Now a quick response is great and sometimes necessary, but if it is confusing or misunderstood it cause more interaction and, with the usual 3-5 responders on an email, eats more time. So, make sure you respond in a manner that is complete and understandable.
The second area of bother is when people respond to a communcation after only reading the first bit of the email. Often times you are asking for more than one response or input on more than one question/thought. (You could just use one thought emails, but that too could add up to time wasted). Take the time to read the whole email before responding and even more importantly, you don't have to respond to every email unless asked to. It's OK not to respond to everybody and every email, people appreciate honest thoughtful responses. So, in the world of communications at a fingertip, take a little time and you may save a whole lot more.
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