Introduction
Communication is important in all organizations because it enables employers and employees to understand each other. It is necessary for people to know communication channels that will enable recipients to understand and respond to their messages. This paper examines the best email practices using a case study.
Summary of Case Study
Mr. Neal Patterson (the CEO of Cerner Corporation) was not happy the way his employees were performing their duties. He observed that the parking space was usually almost empty in the mornings and evenings. He decided to write emails to about 400 company managers to remind them that they were not doing their duties as expected by the organization. Mr. Patterson was annoyed and suspected that managers did not know what their employees were doing, or did not care about what happened in the company.
The CEO believed that managers had allowed their subordinates to introduce a culture of working for 40 hours in a week. He outlined punishments for managers who tolerated laziness and reminded them that he would replace them if they did not fix that problem. The email elicited reactions from his subordinates and the public, and this prompted the devaluation of the company’s shares in the stock market.
Best Email Practices
Lynne Curry believes that email communication should not be treated like a speech because it can be stored and accessed for future references. She argues that even though people write what they think email messages should be evaluated before the writer clicks the send button. It is necessary to explain that speeches can be altered when their messages are passed from one person to another, and there is no possibility of knowing that the information has been distorted.
Therefore, she argues that people should check their messages properly, proofread and wait for at least four hours before sending them. This will enable senders to be sure that their messages are professional; therefore, recipients will interpret them correctly. Mr. Patterson rushed to send his email to company managers without thinking about its impacts, and that is why it evoked negative reactions from various stakeholders. In addition, the email was posted on Yahoo and this exposed it to the public for scrutiny.
Secondly, emails speak a lot about their senders; therefore, people should ensure that the messages they send reflect their personalities. Curry claims that politeness is a key aspect in email communication since it shapes the public’s opinion about an individual or company.
The CEO did not know that his email would have negative effects on the company and his reputation. He thought that expressing his anger to company managers through his email would compel them to act responsibly. However, he was mistaken because most people thought he was arrogant.
Lastly, people should avoid shouting through their email messages. It is necessary to explain that email communication gives senders the confidence of sending messages they cannot express when they meet their audiences face to face. For instance, a person can find it easy to demand promotion and salary increase through emails, but when he is given an opportunity to speak to his employers the individual will not talk.
Curry argues that people should not hide their fears in emails and write shouting messages because this is not a professional practice. Mr. Patterson thought that his threats of sacking irresponsible company managers would make them realize their mistakes and compel their subordinates to respect and follow the policies of Cerner Corporation.
Conclusion
Email communication is an efficient way of sending and sharing messages between friends and colleagues. However, people should check their messages before sending them to ensure they are accurate and addressed to the right recipients.
In addition, an employee’s communication skills portray the character of the individual or company, and this means that senders must evaluate the impacts of their messages before sending them. Lastly, people should avoid shouting at their recipients even if they have been offended by their messages or actions.