Management by e-mail
Column The boss sits in his office in full view of his staff. But instead of getting out of his chair, he prefers to write dozens of emails to his employees every day.
Column The boss sits in his office in full view of his staff. But instead of getting out of his chair, he prefers to write dozens of e-mails to his employees every day.the editor-in-chief (here is an example from Zurich) is on the road a lot by virtue of her position. She also works in a different part of the building to her team. The crew mainly get to see her at magazine review meetings. According to staff, she stands out because she doesn't look at people when she speaks. And: she is much more conciliatory in direct conversation than her "tone" in her emails would suggest, they say. Overall, a picture emerges of (quote): "Aloof, overwhelmed, takes herself and the product far too seriously". The woman, a warm-hearted person in normal life, doesn't understand the world because of this perception. Instead of getting to the bottom of the matter, she entrenches herself even more in the office and sometimes only communicates with her people by email for days on end. The effect on the working atmosphere: the members of the editorial team have moved closer together, sometimes defending each other from the boss and increasingly distancing themselves from this leader. Team spirit is out of the question - a total exception, you think? Not at all! Email enables fast and cost-effective communication. But leading a team cannot be done by e-mail. It's about style, personality and respect for other people. Clear boundaries must be drawn. Content such as meeting minutes, draft contracts, offers, applications and other personal data are sent by email. But personnel management cannot be done by e-mail.
Internal e-mail communication has a direct influence on corporate communication, the working atmosphere and the corporate philosophy. Many managers do not seem to be aware of this. As a result, e-mails in general and the consequences of e-mail communication are greatly underestimated. More and more managers are now leading at a distance. Anyone who has ever worked in a management position knows that nothing is as time-consuming as "nurturing" employees. Email correspondence provides a supposedly optimal solution for dealing with employees. But what is perceived as a valuable time and energy saver by the manager is perceived by the employee as isolation, non-communication and in any case in a negative form. Need another example?
The CEO of a rapidly expanding start-up company is about as present as "Q" in the latest James Bond movie. He exists, oh yes. Suddenly the PC chirps "You've
got mail", and he is already writing from Asia or the USA about his plans for the next few days in Switzerland in terms of meetings. The staff are informed: "The boss will be here next week." Meetings are organized. On the eve of the marathon meeting, the message is "You've got mail": cancel all meetings. The boss flies to Paris without further ado. And the employees? They virtually manage themselves and seek relaxation after this short hectic period.
Internal communication is internal public relations. Internal communication means conveying culture, flying the flag, creating a sense of unity. Those who master internal communication have a significant influence on the satisfaction of their employees in the workplace and thus turn them into opinion multipliers. Leadership means taking responsibility. Every boss can only achieve success together with a team that is motivated and willing to perform. E-mail correspondence must therefore never replace direct internal communication.
Finally, this one: Shortly before the end of the year, everyone wants their pay rise. Boss X, known for his open door, has been turning everyone away for a few days now. Too much social contact? Overkill by employees? Apparently not. Then an email to everyone: "Due to the shortage of time this year, I would ask you to refrain from having salary discussions with me. Please email me your ideas instead." No joke!
If you lead by email, you fail as a leader. With this in mind: Happy holidays.
Karin Müller,
formerly a journalist, now runs her own communications office in Zurich.
Internal e-mail communication has a direct influence on corporate communication, the working atmosphere and the corporate philosophy. Many managers do not seem to be aware of this. As a result, e-mails in general and the consequences of e-mail communication are greatly underestimated. More and more managers are now leading at a distance. Anyone who has ever worked in a management position knows that nothing is as time-consuming as "nurturing" employees. Email correspondence provides a supposedly optimal solution for dealing with employees. But what is perceived as a valuable time and energy saver by the manager is perceived by the employee as isolation, non-communication and in any case in a negative form. Need another example?
The CEO of a rapidly expanding start-up company is about as present as "Q" in the latest James Bond movie. He exists, oh yes. Suddenly the PC chirps "You've
got mail", and he is already writing from Asia or the USA about his plans for the next few days in Switzerland in terms of meetings. The staff are informed: "The boss will be here next week." Meetings are organized. On the eve of the marathon meeting, the message is "You've got mail": cancel all meetings. The boss flies to Paris without further ado. And the employees? They virtually manage themselves and seek relaxation after this short hectic period.
Internal communication is internal public relations. Internal communication means conveying culture, flying the flag, creating a sense of unity. Those who master internal communication have a significant influence on the satisfaction of their employees in the workplace and thus turn them into opinion multipliers. Leadership means taking responsibility. Every boss can only achieve success together with a team that is motivated and willing to perform. E-mail correspondence must therefore never replace direct internal communication.
Finally, this one: Shortly before the end of the year, everyone wants their pay rise. Boss X, known for his open door, has been turning everyone away for a few days now. Too much social contact? Overkill by employees? Apparently not. Then an email to everyone: "Due to the shortage of time this year, I would ask you to refrain from having salary discussions with me. Please email me your ideas instead." No joke!
If you lead by email, you fail as a leader. With this in mind: Happy holidays.
Karin Müller,
formerly a journalist, now runs her own communications office in Zurich.
