1. Effective Email Communication and
Appreciating Organization Policies and
Procedures

2. ‘Leadership and communication are inseperable.
You can’t have one with out the other.’
Claude I. Taylor
Chairman of the Board, Air Canada

3. How effective are your emails?

4. • ALL CAPS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING
– So is overpunctuating!!!!!
• Not using capitalization or punctuation makes email hard to
read
• Text messaging abbreviations r confusing 2 ur co-wrkrs
• Avoid emoticons
• Explain Acronyms
• Check spelling and grammar before sending
• Keep slang to a minimum

5. Think before hitting ‘send’
• Is your email:
– Needed (Does the recipient need this to do their job)
• Timely, Relevant, Complete
– Appropriate
• Compliant, Professional, Inoffensive
– Targeted
• Limit use of ‘reply all’, limit use of cc/bc
• Manage distribution lists
• Is email the best channel?

6. Format your emails
• What would you do if you received this email:
We need to test the upgrade before we proceed with
the pilot in Pediatric Otolaryngology. Does the
project have the funding to purchase a couple of the
hardware upgrades so I can test with in this area? I
can provide you a quote from Insight for the
upgrade. I need to verify that it works as advertised
before we advertise that we can do this for all
devices.

7. huh?

8. Let’s try this instead:
We need to test the upgrade before we proceed with the pilot in
Pediatric Otolaryngology.
Does the project have the funding to purchase a couple of the
hardware upgrades so I can test in this area?
I will:
1. Provide you a quote from Insight for the upgrade
2. Verify that it works as advertised before rolling out the
program.

9. Paragraphs and bullets clarify
your message

10. Making email work for you
• Build better emails
– Strengthen the subject
– Sculpt the body
• Strengthen the subject
– Use keywords in the subject line
• Active: Prepare Slides for the Workshop December 13
• Info: Update on Email Etiquette Presentation
• Confirm: Presentation will be ready for review
December 11
• Delivery: Slides for December 13 training

11. Don’t need a response – use eom
Old
New

12. Sculpt the body of your email
• Break messages into sections
– Action summary – what’s the point of the email
– Background (but know your audience)
• Key points
• Definitions
– Close – next steps or action items
• If there are attachments explain what they are

13. Email rules of engagement
•3 Volley Rule
If a topic is bounced back
and forth more than three
times it is time to place a
call or schedule a meeting
•24 Hour Rule
It is okay to write a heated e-mail, just
wait 24 hour before you send it
Avoid ‘flaming’

15. Four simple email strategies
• Send fewer emails and you’ll receive fewer
emails
– Don’t abuse ‘reply all’ and Cc features
• Write better messages
– People don’t ‘read’ emails they ‘scan’ them
• Coach frequent senders (and offenders)
• File and find information faster

16. Questions

17. Following policies and procedures …
Even when you don’t agree

18. “If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to
test decisions, their decisions will be random.”
Donald Rumsfield

19. Policies and procedures provide clarity for
employees and leaders when dealing with
accountability issues

20. Why have policies and procedures
• Policies and procedures link the company
vision and the day-to-day operations
– Allow employees to understand their roles and
responsibilities
– Define limits and boundaries
– Guide operations
– Limit management intervention

21. Policies
• General in nature
• Identify company rules
• Explain why rules exist
• Tells when the rule applies
• Describes who it covers
• Explains enforcement and consequences

22. Procedures
• Identify specific actions
• Explain when take action
• Describes alternatives
• Shows emergency procedures
• Includes warnings and cautions
• Shows how to complete forms

23. Polices and procedures are required when
there is a need for consistency in your
day-to-day activities

24. What to do if you disagree
• If you disagree with a supervisor about policies or
strategies, make sure you understand your
supervisor's position
– Ask questions
– Don't contradict your supervisor in public or in
front of co-workers
– Don't make the disagreement into a personal or
emotional issue

25. Collaborative disagreement
• Paraphrase your supervisor's position so he
knows you understand what he wants. Present
your concern or opinion, and then propose a
way to address your concern without
invalidating your boss's position.

26. Example
“I understand you prefer for us to address
customers by their first name because it
sounds more friendly, but some older
customers might be offended by the
informality. Would it be all right for me to use
last names when it seems appropriate, as long
as my sales figures are not negatively
affected?”

27. When you don’t get your way
• Even if you handle a disagreement in the best possible way,
the supervisor still might not change her position.
• After you have done your best to present your own opinion
clearly and respectfully, you should embrace whatever your
supervisor decides and carry out her wishes to the best of
your ability.
• You want your supervisor to see that you can carry out
instructions with a good attitude and put in all of your effort
even though you disagree.

28. Why follow policies and procedures
• Following policies and procedures is essential
– Commitment to organization goals
– Ensures the department runs smoothly
– Your involvement is part of a larger goal
• Sometimes you will disagree
– Ask questions, seek clarity
– Don’t assume
– Embrace the policy and procedure – your
job may be at stake

29. Questions

30. Herd Strategies, llc
245 East 11th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317.641.9073
www.herdstrategies.com
info@herdstrategies.com