Think about your work email inbox. How much time do you spend each day reading and responding to emails? As the recipient, when responding to an email, how often do you have a need to request clarification from the sender? Are there things that the sender could have communicated upfront or differently that would have negated the need to request that information? Because so much of our work has shifted into virtual spaces, many may rely on email even more than previously. Email is not the same as or a replacement for face-to-face interaction. Some thought should be given to the best method for ..read more

In government, there tends to be more data than agencies think to leverage. A case in point — emails. Agencies can easily overlook this voluminous and robust data source right under their noses. “Traditionally, we had thought of email as a communication tool and [that] that’s all it did. Business happened elsewhere,” said Wes Everett, 311 Manager for the town of Cary, North Carolina. But that changed once the municipality realized the value of the data living in their staff’s inboxes and integrated it with its customer relation management (CRM) tool. “The first thing is, people don’t know [of ..read more

As a dedicated introvert, networking is a skill that I struggle with. Having had root canals, I actually think those are preferable to networking, because I can’t talk at all while the dentist is fixing my teeth! Now that we are all trying to practice social distancing, networking – which by definition requires some sort of contact with people – seems impossible. But it isn’t. Here are a few tips for networking while staying more than six feet away from anyone else. Find online platforms: Make yourself present on online platforms specific to your field and any affinity groups you belong to. Y ..read more

It has happened to all of us … I am certain of this. In fact, I am convinced it has happened to us more than a few times. We received an email that rocks us at our core and we immediately reacted. We quickly typed out a response and feverishly pressed send. Mission accomplished … or was it? Although email allows us to quickly communicate with our colleagues, it can be a challenging communication platform. Whether we are initiating or responding to an email, the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill reminds us that, “Miscommunication can easily occur when people have di ..read more