INTHEBLACK October/November 2024 - Magazine - Page 54
WORK SMART
The strategic reply
Written communication in the workplace can be a minefield. Two experts
share their tips on the best time to reply to a work email or message.
Words Nicola Heath
IN TODAY’S WORKPLACE, EMPLOYEES HAVE
never been more connected, working across
platforms including email, instant messaging
and SMS.
However, the disembodied nature of online
communication creates new challenges
around timing.
When it comes to replying, how fast is too
fast? And how slow is too slow?
For one person, replying to an email the
following day might seem reasonable – but
not to the person waiting for the response.
In contrast, an immediate reply might signify
diligence but could also mean distraction and
a lack of focus on other tasks. This makes it
essential to get the balance right.
“If the communication is urgent, you need to
use a synchronous communication tool, such
as a phone call, face-to-face conversation,
Teams message or an SMS, so you can go
backwards and forwards in real time.”
Over-reliance on email can result in important
information falling between the cracks.
Mether says in the leadership workshops she
runs, many leaders admit they do not read their
emails due to the sheer volume they receive.
“It is not that they are bad leaders, it is
because their organisation does not have rules
around email, such as what staff are cc’d into.”
As a result, Mether says, “They are getting
bombarded.”
THE PRESSURE TO REPLY
THE RIGHT PLATFORM
In most workplaces, email is the primary mode
of communication.
However, workplace communications
specialist Leah Mether says that other
platforms, such as instant messaging or an oldfashioned phone call, are more appropriate in
some instances.
“We are too quick to default to email
because we perceive it as easy, but I think
many of us have been caught in ‘email ping
pong’ for weeks sometimes, when a fiveminute phone call would have been much
more effective,” she says.
Workplace productivity expert Jani Murphy
says email is designed for relatively simple
communication but tends not to be used
this way.
Complex and large volumes of information
are difficult to convey via email. Plus, email is
not suitable for urgent communication. “It is
what we call an asynchronous communication
tool, which means I email you, and at some
later point in time, you email me back,”
Murphy says.
54 INTHEBLACK October/November 2024
In some settings, people may feel pressured
to reply to emails immediately, fearing that
a delay might signify disengagement or
disrespect.
However, the assumption that everyone is
sitting at their desks responding to emails is
unrealistic and ill-advised.
“I could spend my whole day being busy
but unproductive with my inbox open,” Mether
says, who pushes back against the notion that
email should be responded to immediately.
She argues that email management should
be framed as a productivity issue.
A reactive approach to online communication
comes at a cost. It distracts employees from
other important work and priorities.
Mether says teams and organisations can
help prevent conflict and misunderstandings
by establishing ground rules around email
etiquette and what modes of communication
should be used and when.
For example, queries that require a quick reply
should be sent via instant messaging rather than
email, or a leader might flag with their team that
they will not check their inbox after 8pm.
