![\"lost](\"http:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/iStock_000029988406Small-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>I\u2019m convinced that somewhere in this world there is a massive hole filled with unanswered email messages. Clients and colleagues constantly express frustration over a general disregard for their efforts to communicate via email. The tolerance for ignoring email messages can become ingrained in an organization\u2019s culture. I\u2019ve noticed that often a lack of accountability related to email is indicative of a broader accountability issue \u2013 usually at both the personal and the organizational level.<\/p>\nThere are many reasons why emails go into the abyss, but few of them are defendable. In the end, an ignored email is equivalent to an unspoken statement that goes something like this – \u2018I don\u2019t care enough about your success to help\u2019, \u2018I\u2019m too busy to do what you are asking and I want to avoid a difficult conversation\u2019, \u2018I have chosen to remain unorganized at the expense of others\u2019 effectiveness\u2019,<\/em> etc\u2026 Not exactly statements of accountability.<\/strong><\/p>\nI know what you are thinking. These points are unreasonable. I get so many emails that it is impossible to keep up<\/em>. My response is that some of the busiest people I have known (including some who are executives with really big jobs) have found a way to keep up\u2026 and without delegating email management to their assistants. One thing they have in common is that they are also among the most accountable people I know.<\/strong><\/p>\nOur Email Behaviors \u2013 A Cultural Change Lever<\/h3>\n
Regardless, it\u2019s no secret that email behaviors need to improve. A colleague of mine used to say \u2018if you can\u2019t win the game you are playing then change the rules\u2019<\/em>. If you are losing in the email game, then you are probably losing the accountability game as well. That\u2019s a big deal. So change the rules\u2026 change the way email is used. Here are some things you can do.<\/p>\nTips for the Sender<\/h3>\n\n- Be clear about what you expect from the recipient… and express that early in the email.<\/li>\n
- Use the Subject line to indicate the level of urgency. Adopt a classification system for all of your emails that indicates the importance of the message to the receiver – \u201cFYI\u201d, \u201cResponse Requested by X\u201d<\/em> (and don\u2019t make X be 30 minutes from now), \u201cNot urgent but important for you to know\u201d<\/em>.<\/li>\n
- Where appropriate, take an assertive approach. For instance, \u201cWe plan to move the files into archive by Monday unless you have shared any concerns\u201d<\/em>. This will minimize iterations.<\/li>\n
- For long emails, write them like a newspaper article. Start with a summary and then elaborate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Tips for the Receiver<\/h3>\n\n- Respond to every message where a response is requested or warranted.<\/li>\n
- If a message involves action, close the loop with a message back. A simple \u2018got it\u2019<\/em> is often good enough.<\/li>\n
- Try to touch it once – respond, file, forward when you first read the message.<\/li>\n
- Adopt an e-filing system that keeps your inbox clean. Using your inbox as a holding tank for all messages causes stress and quickly become unmanageable.<\/li>\n
- Think about whether your response should go to all who were copied on the original message, only the author, others who were not copied on the message, etc…<\/li>\n
- Cut off email chains and restart new ones if the audience needs to be different.<\/li>\n
- Think about whether email is the best vehicle. Sometimes a conversation can shortcut the communication and make it more effective.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Close the Abyss, One Step At A Time<\/h3>\n
The email abyss costs organizations a mountain of productivity and enables a culture that lacks accountability. The worst approach is to allow the abyss to exist. The better outcomes are to establish a personal vendetta against unanswered email and to revamp the organization\u2019s approach to using it. You have a great opportunity to set an example for the rest of the organization and to promote desired behaviors. As a leader, you can start small by adopting new practices for yourself and among your team. After you see the benefits, then expand them to the entire organization. Help the organization recapture productivity by setting the example AND the expectation.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lack of accountability. If there was ever a single characteristic of a culture that could guarantee underperformance, Lack of accountability has to be it. We\u2019ve all seen it. Deadlines missed. Lack of follow-thru. Messages ignored. We\u2019ve all experienced the frustration and aggravation and wondered why does it have to be this hard? This article provides a novel way to ratchet up the degree of accountability in your organization. BONUS TIP: Forwarding this to your team may be a small step that produces big gains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,7,9],"tags":[21,16,23,22],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=646"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":648,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646\/revisions\/648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"lost](\"http:\/\/thepeopleadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/iStock_000029988406Small.jpg\")
<\/a>I\u2019m convinced that somewhere in this world there is a massive hole filled with unanswered email messages. Clients and colleagues constantly express frustration over a general disregard for their efforts to communicate via email. The tolerance for ignoring email messages can become ingrained in an organization\u2019s culture. I\u2019ve noticed that often a lack of accountability related to email is indicative of a broader accountability issue \u2013 usually at both the personal and the organizational level.<\/p>\n