One Of Most Visited Place On Our Training Midway

As you can imagine, one of the workplace distractions that gets the most attention from the participants is around the elephant of email. We are frequently amazed that people see the strategy of "Turning off email notification" or "set specific times to check email" as strong options in handling email. They are a beneficial step on the receiving side of email.

There are also practical steps we can take on the sending side of the equation to help manage the flow and improve response from others. They include:

• If the message is short, put it in the subject line
• Put deadlines in the subject line
• Put action needed in the subject line. Include phrases like "FYI," "Action requested," "No reply needed" or even "Call after reading"
• In the text, start with the action you want them to take-and when. The content following it should provide information to help them choose the course of action to take.

We always welcome your best practices too. Send them to us at info@jugglingelephants.com

Clear The Ring!

You go to a circus and when each act is over, something used in the act is left behind. Mid-way through the circus performance they would have to stop the action to clean out the stuff lying around in the wing.

We do something very similar when we leave read emails in our inbox. Each time we go to manage our inbox, a portion of our focus or attention is always drawn back to those emails sitting idly by. We mentally trip over them while trying to really focus on our new acts.

Why not create some rules for incoming emails or better yet, create some rules for what you do with an email once you read it? An old acronym to guide management of pieces of paper still works for handling email. It is:

T-Trash

R-Refer

A-Act

F-File

Remember, the goal is to have your mental "ring" clear to be able to focus on the act at hand-and not trip over it.

Your Performers Need To See Your Pimples

Okay, cheesy title, but it's true. A study at the University of Massachusetts revealed that individuals are 5 times more likely to lie in email communication versus a face to face conversation. As you can expect, the less physiological or emotional connection one had to the person to whom they were communicating, the more likely they were to lie.

We are huge proponents of building trust with anyone in your life of whom you have expectations. One cornerstone of building that trust is being honest. As the study, shows, that can best be accomplished by talking with someone in real time, in front of them. They may be suspicious of your typed words, but they will have a hard time dispelling the sincerity in your voice and non-verbal language. You will also have the same chance to evaluate their level of honesty.

Even if you can't always have tough discussions face to face, try to choose the next best option. If you were thinking about emailing, call them instead. If a call was your plan and you will be able to see them face to face soon, save it for the real time meeting. Any steps you take to increase the trust people have for you will lead your circus to a better performance.