Get advice on how to deal with jerks at work Check out the book 'Jerks At Work' and other titles by Ken Lloyd Ph.D. Return to the JerksAtWork.com homepage Learn more about Ken Lloyd, Ph.D. Submit a question to Ken Lloyd, Ph.D.
 

You asked, Ken answers ...

This item is filed under these categories:
E-mail Communication Feedback

I use e-mail to keep the employees in my department current and to advise them of changes. My writing is clear, but there are always three or four people who come to me and ask for an explanation. They can obviously read, but they just don't do it. How do I get this to stop?



Do you really want your employees to stay away from you when they have questions? That can burn up more of your time than their visits.

When information is put in writing, there can be any number of reasons why some people do not get the full message. Perhaps the writing is not as clear as the writer may think, particularly in light of the obliteration of many rules of grammar and syntax in e-mail messages. It is also possible that the receiver may have problems reading, may be a little lazy, or may need the security associated with asking the sender about the meaning.

As the writer, it will be helpful for you to see if there are any common themes in their comments to you. If so, perhaps you can make some changes in your writing to help clarify or simplify what you are trying to say.

At the same time, you should certainly tell these employees that you expect them to read the e-mail carefully and thoroughly before they call you. If they do come to visit you, do not just explain the message off the top of your head. Walk through the message with them so that they can see how clear it is, and you can see where any possible areas of confusion may lie. After all, one-way communication is one way to have real communication problems.



Comment on this item

Your name (optional)
If you leave this blank, we'll list you as "Website visitor"


Your comments
Please keep your comments focused on the topic. Thanks!