When forwarding e-mails, take the time to write an introduction or summary at the top including where the information originated and why it should be of interest.
Be careful that long e-mail strings do not include information that should not be forwarded. Read it thoroughly and delete sections if needed.
Check to make sure the Subject Line is short and descriptive.
Always use a signature and include your name, title and contact information.
I just love questions after sending out a communication. A question means:
Make sure to answer every question personally. An e-mail response to a question sent via e-mail works, a phone call or a personal visit works even better. Assume if one person asked the question others are thinking of the same issue. I often send a follow-up communication with answers to all the questions asked. If the topic is ongoing, consider starting a Frequently Asked Questions intranet page and do not forget to send out the URL.
Any Questions?
If you want to get a handle on your e-mail, triage it. I use a number of Outlook e-mail folders that seem to work fairly well for me. I based my approach on one advocated by David Allen in Getting Things Done. One of the key’s to success is to make sure the subject line describes the content of any e-mail that is saved. Here is my triage process:
A description of my Outlook e-mail folders
Other ACTIONS in Outlook
Establishing access to a communication specialist has been one of my CIO’s better moves. Our specialist has taught us so much not the least of which is to communicate often.
There is never a time when all the information is complete, the idea fully developed or the story fully told. It is tempting to hold off a communication until next week when we know more information, and then next week hold off another week. Before you know it, you have delayed a month and never communicated.
Establish how often you should be communicating with an audience (just ask them, they will tell you) and stick to the schedule. Say what you can and if more will be forthcoming don’t be afraid to say so. Your audience will appreciate it.
If you want to know what people think, ask them. If you are in a small group, asking opinions is relatively simple and straight forward. In a large geographically dispersed organization, the task is more difficult. One tool we have found helpful is Web Surveyor. The tool is hosted internally. Our staff author the survey. We send an e-mail to clinicians and staff asking them to participate and provide a link to the survey. A separate link allow administrators an opportunity to view the tallied and graphed responses.
We recently used the tools to judge the opinions of our clinicians regarding several EHR issues. This is the response to a question regarding how well we are communicating EHR progress.
Add a personal touch to your important messages, send them out yourself. E-mails distributed by an administrative assistant on behalf of the leader always seem to less personal and even less important than if sent out directly by the leader. Assistants are great for helping to format, proof and make sure the e-mail gets the message across, take the extra moment and send the e-mail yourself.
Try to use a title that will convey the essence of the communication.
If you can communicate your message in a paragraph or two, place it in the body of the e-mail rather than as an attachment. If you must use an attachment, use text in the body of the e-mail to entice the reader to open the attachment. Better yet, summarize the attachment in the e-mail and use the attachment for a more indepth discussion.
You are now a newly minted physician leader. What do you do after celebrating and saying a silent prayer hoping you can do the job?
You order a new sign for the door, new business cards and new stationary (assuming you still operate partially in a paper world). What do you use as your e-mail signature?
There are two schools of thought. The first takes a minimalist approach; just type in a shortened version of your name. Those who follow this approach seem to believe the more important you are, the more everyone knows you. The second approach is to use an elaborate preformatted signature. Lean towards the second approach.
A leader who is effective, will have an ever growing sphere of influence. You will be taking on new responsibilities from time to time, changing your office location and even your phone number. You will miss opportunities if people do not know how to find you.
I have configured two signatures for use in my Outlook e-mail. A more elaborate signature is used for all e-mail I originate. It contains all the necessary information to contact me. I include both my mailing address and office location since they are different.
The second signature is used on all replies and forwarded mail. I make sure to include my e-mail address since prior addresses are typically stripped off when communications are forwarded.
Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
