Stop. Think. Then Send — Maybe.

By John Manning, General Manager, MAP

Ever find yourself wishing you hadn’t hit the “send” button for a particular email? Almost everyone has hastily sent out an email that’s created a time-consuming, needless chain reaction of events. And that’s because many people struggle to communicate effectively in this medium. If the point of the message isn’t delivered with accuracy, sensitivity and succinctness, the email can assume a body language that betrays its professionalism and intentions. What begins as a quick, easy way to address an issue can evolve into a complex time-sucker, taxing not only productivity but also emotions, employee morale and maybe even company culture. Got a tough situation to tackle? Treat those challenging emails like you’re crossing a tricky intersection. When in doubt, stop, think, then send — or maybe sit on it for a day or don’t send it at all, opting for a more personal means of communication instead.

And the same strategy applies for some of those less important messages you might be sending out to groups of recipients. The more people you “cc:” on an email, even if it’s a short, relatively unimportant message, invites opinions, comments and chatter. For example, an employee in a company’s remote location emailed someone in IT because her fax was down. But she also cc:’d the entire company that was, up until that point, unaffected by her fax issues.

Suddenly, hundreds were reading and wondering about the email, possibly even replying, forwarding it on to the person for whom it was best intended, or even sending it to other co-workers to show them how ridiculous it was that they got it in the first place! Ironically, business operations were unaffected until she actually sent this email that needlessly interrupted and involved countless people in her problem. With everyone reading all about her fax trouble, as well as the subsequent “e-activity” from the peanut gallery, hours of time was wasted on this one lady’s email about her fax machine – which had been repaired well before the email chain ended.

Email is a great tool if, like other communication methods, it’s used appropriately and wisely. Whenever you type an email, and especially if you’re debating whether or not to hit the send button, at least ask yourself these questions first:

1. Who is the best recipient for this email? Is it truly necessary to include or “cc:” others?

2. Does this situation or topic warrant a phone call or face-to-face meeting? If it does, follow up that way and never use email to avoid or hide from more personal communications when warranted.

3. What’s the best way to communicate this message in writing my email? Are my grammar, tone and style of writing professionally reflecting my thoughts and purpose?

4. Should I stop and think about this first, putting the email in my drafts folder and letting it sit overnight before sending?

5. When I read this email, how does it make me feel? Get a second opinion if necessary.

Do you prefer email or phone to communicate?

Become a Daily, Disciplined Planner

By John Manning, General Manager, MAP

Heard the old saying that “if you fail to plan then you’re planning to fail”? It’s totally true and there are a million reasons or excuses why we fail to plan. We’re too busy. Too tired. Too stressed. But taking a few minutes at the end of your workday, just before you go to bed, or before you start your day to write down a plan will actually work in your favor. Putting the plan on paper helps you create more accountability, schedule activities to accomplish your short and long-term goals, and it helps you think through problems and solutions at a deeper level. What kind of results can you expect? Like many of MAP’s top clients, you’ll become a daily, disciplined planner. Having this type of commitment to planning will get you stronger results. (Oh — and you’ll probably get more sleep!)

We could all use some zzzs after all — or at least that’s what I discovered when I became a daily, disciplined planner. For some time, I spent many a restless night, tossing and turning in bed, and going through the mental list of all I had to do the next day. But worse, I was also planning how I was going to do all those things on my mental list. It was exhausting and far from productive, so one day I gave writing “it” all down a try. The first thing that happened was I felt this great weight lift from my shoulders. There “it” all was – fixed on paper – so I wouldn’t forget. Next, I noticed that I felt really good because I instantly had clarity, focus and even a plan for navigating “it” the next day. The strategy or goals were set to some degree, right there on my paper. Knowing this, I then felt relaxed enough to fall asleep and woke up feeling more confident in my ability as a manager. Walking into work, I had that plan on paper and a pretty good idea of how I was going to accomplish it.

A very common theme we hear among business leaders and managers today is that they’re overwhelmed. Because of the tough economic times, they’re wearing too many hats, working harder than ever just to stay afloat. Consequently, they’ve pushed planning to the back burner. And that’s a mistake, albeit a correctible one, fortunately, with the small, yet significant daily discipline of writing out what’s to be accomplish today, tomorrow, this week, etc.

Why is planning important? Life is two-thirds planning and one-third delivery. Planning is a key driver in creating the goals and strategies that will deliver positive results. So if you’ve been pushing planning to the back burner — stop and make it a priority. In fact, if you haven’t yet made a New Year’s resolution, consider making a commitment to daily, disciplined planning. If you’re already losing sleep, what have you got to lose?

What’s one thing that you do to keep yourself on track?

Build Your Network

By John Manning, General Manager, MAP

A deep, diverse professional network is an invaluable asset in today’s business arena. And it’s also easily attainable, thanks to technology-driven networking tools such as LinkedIn with 100 million+ members that are specifically designed to help you build the network of your dreams and capitalize on all the contacts and connections you make. So if you haven’t done so already, develop a strategy for networking, share your knowledge, help others and become a trusted, recommended connection.

Why do you need a “network”? In our modern, global economy, people are becoming increasingly numb to traditional advertising and cold calling, and so leveraging business opportunities with people who are referred through a trusted network contact is “a must.” What’s more, the professional relationships you develop in your carefully cultivated network can play an important role in your next career opportunity. So if you haven’t done so already, develop a strategy for networking, share your knowledge, help others and become a trusted, recommended connection.

Think you don’t need to develop a network through key sites like LinkedIn? Think again!!! Nowadays, LinkedIn “is to business what Google is to search,” according to Rick Itzkowich, a marketing consultant whose expertise with this particular business-related social networking site has earned him international recognition as “The LinkedIn Guy.” Simply “a must” for professional credibility in contemporary business circles worldwide, having a LinkedIn profile and network is now just as important as having an e-mail address, he says. But far more than just a way for others to contact you, it’s an opportunity for you to source, navigate and build critical relationships that can help you achieve your full, professional potential. And it’s a totally free way to generate potential business, making it one of the smartest marketing moves you could ever make in our recession-rocked economy.

No doubt, if you join LinkedIn and use it wisely, this new norm for networking can net big rewards. But join LinkedIn and succumb to a number of common pitfalls, and you’ll likely never experience the power of this tool. Itzkowich shared with MAP a few of the most common pitfalls and how to prevent them.

Specifically, always avoid:

1. Posting incomplete profiles. Believe it or not, people do read what you write about yourself. If you just haphazardly throw something together, it’s no different than just throwing up a website without paying attention to the details. It looks sloppy and unprofessional, creating a negative impression about you and your basic competencies. Take the time to develop your profile with care, making sure you have completed all the suggested categories, including a decent, professional photo. Whatever you post or write should speak to quality, be grammatically and factually correct, and accurately reflect your professional brand or persona.
   
   
2. Premature solicitation. LinkedIn and other professional social networking sites are not sales channels, they’re relationship channels. The quickest way to turn someone off is to ask for business before cultivating a relationship first.
   
   
3. Asking for recommendations from those who won’t give them to you. It simply doesn’t make sense! If you don’t know someone or don’t have a reason to believe they will absolutely give you a recommendation, don’t even go there — it destroys credibility. You should be 100 percent sure that people will recommend you whenever you ask for their recommendation.
   
   
4. Not understanding how the site works. Like any tool, if you don’t know how it works, you can’t leverage its potential. Commit to learning by setting aside an hour or two to go through the site, explore its features, read articles on recent updates, and test it out with a couple of trusted connections. If you need additional help, reach out to a marketing expert who can help you capitalize on the benefits.
   
   
5. Failing to have a strategy. The key to excellent networking (whether online or in person) is always to have a strategy that’s proactive and goal-oriented. How many connections do you want to make this year? How many of those do you want to develop into solid relationships? Of those, what percent would you like to turn into actual clients? How will you get there? What will you say, do or offer to those in your network to make them trust and want to “friend,” work with and recommend you? Consider all these questions and create a strategy for networking. And then, most importantly, implement the strategy you create!

How have you leveraged the power of LinkedIn or other professional networking tools?