Life before electronic communication is a foggy memory for the oldest millennials. For the youngest members of Generation Y it’s basically an incomprehensible reality. E-mail has been a routine part of communication for most millennials.

But despite its familiarity, e-mail blunders are all too common. There are a number of books and articles that have been written to help people communicate more effectively over e-mail (in fact, I’ve linked to one such item at the end of this post).

But navigating the immediacy and accessibility that e-mail offers is tricky. This is particularly true for people who have little awareness of what communication was like before such efficient means existed, and this obliviousness can lead to trouble in the workplace.

Although most e-mail oversights turn out to be little more than an embarrassing faux pas, serious electronic misconduct can lead to an employee’s dismissal. A study from the ePolicy Institute and the American Management Association found that 25 percent of surveyed employers have fired an employee for violating e-mail policy, according to an article about dismissals related to e-mail issues.

For millennials, e-mail problems can first crop up in college. “To: Professor @ University .edu Subject: Why It’s All About Me,” a 2006 New York Times article examined how the issue plays out on campus. According to the article, professors complain that “students seem to view them as available around the clock, sending a steady stream of e-mail messages — from 10 a week to 10 after every class — that are too informal or downright inappropriate.” Although students’ experience in college might help them improve some aspects of their e-mail etiquette, the mistakes don’t magically disappear after they leave the Ivory Tower.

Millennials can learn a lot about appropriate electronic conduct by consulting older coworkers who have a greater awareness about how e-mail has changed communication in the office. Understanding the context can make for more effective communication.

Rick Holton, 56 — the founder of Holton, a communications consulting company — says that apart from speeding up the process of communication in business, e-mail and other tools have made marketing cheaper and easier and have contributed to work-life balance because it makes working from home a lot easier. But it’s important to be aware of the drawbacks.

“E-mail has reduced the amount of personal contact we get… It can keep us out of the loop at the companies we work for, and managers can forget who we are if they never see us. Electronic communication also contributes to America’s growing solipsism. Baby boomers are self-absorbed, no question, but their children (and now grandchildren) are far worse, all of which may have some troubling implications for American society,” Holton says.

“Young people who have grown up with electronic communications should learn that communication isn’t in the volume, it’s in the content,” according to Holton. He adds, “…the volume of information is far less important than having it be the right information.”

Holton recommends considering what your communication goals are and then determining what your approach should be. Audience is important too. “Many older people don’t care much for e-mail, even if they have access to it. Businesspeople in the South, I’ve often found, send handwritten thank you notes and expect to get handwritten notes in return,” he says.

Holton’s six tips for writing more effective business e-mails are available here. Author Judith Kallos operates the Business E-mail Etiquette blog, which has some great posts about things to be aware of when using e-mail at work.

Popularity: 5%

Share This