At Emailogic we have known for some time that email etiquette – or the lack of it – impacts people at work and can have a significant detrimental effect on their working day. We also know that the real key to email management is changing human behaviours around email – improving soft skills as well as software.
A senior researcher at Glasgow University agrees.
In a recently published article Dr Karen Renaud likens people’s emailing behaviours to certain types of bird.
For example:
The Emu – uses email to cover their back
The Parrot – sends inappropriate or abusive emails without any thought for the impact on others
The Crow – uses reply to all without any care of due consideration and emails multiple versions of the same document
Which type are you? Or do you recognise a colleague in these descriptions.
In total Dr Renaud identified 15 different types of email characteristics.
Indeed Dr Renaud’s research – whilst light-hearted – does highlight a serious issue. That the way we as users interact with our emails significantly affects not only our productivity but that of our colleagues.
With this in mind, combined with the fact that over 65% of our business communication happens over email – means that email etiquette training should seriously be considered as an integral part of any training programme.
