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When I was a manager I expected a phone call. Email has its place, but nothing beats a one on one conversation when you need to communicate something important to your manager.
And if you sent that to me, I'd return it saying "Ask me this in person".
Why is this even an issue? Everyone assuming subordinates work in other locations away from their supervisors? Is this the THING now?
Or working from home?
ALL THAT should have been reviewed and worked out when taking the job or changing their status to telecommuting or a different location. There should be a process if you don't even KNOW each other or the company culture.
NO I don't want a bunch of emailed questions and no I don't want a bunch of phone calls. And I SURE will refuse a bunch of texts.
Maybe you need a help desk like other people who require alot of direction. (not you literally, NMSFM)
So I guess we have a problem LOL.
My experience is as an office manager or executive assistant. So, perhaps our differing styles is based on some difference between whatever your actual work experience is vs. mine.
Mine included being an executive assistant to a department chair of a major university, with two secretaries who reported to me, for instance.
But, as an executive assistant to a general manager or CEO or CFO, including being the executive assistant to the general manager of a subsidiary of a major US beer corporation you see in super bowl ads, my example is extremely relevant and exactly how they operate.
So, what, exactly, is your experience that differs so much from my example, that makes me incorrect, based on your real life experiences as an upper level executive dealing with their executive assistant or office manager?
All I know of you so far, is that you run a home business walking people's dogs. Do you even have any subordinates? On the level of a manager in a major corporation?
Not to say I don't respect your home business, but if you want to butt heads with me on this one, based on my experience, I don't think you have the experience to say I don't know this world.
And if you sent that to me, I'd return it saying "Ask me this in person".
No busy executive would prefer to take the time to send a subordinate an email saying, ask me in person if I'd rather communicate with you via telephone or email, instead of just responding to the email.
Any executive who would do so, weirdly has too much time on their hands, or simply wants to get lucky with their assistant.
When I was a manager I expected a phone call. Email has its place, but nothing beats a one on one conversation when you need to communicate something important to your manager.
Before I retired (October 6th), I worked for people in other states and even countries in a number of my positions. We communicated primarily via Skype videoconferencing and instant messaging rather than email, and a couple times a year might meet face to face. The culture where I worked in my last position (a large international bank) was moving away from email - one on one scheduled meetings and group meetings were done in teleconferences, and more informal communications via IM or Skype calls. Management was actively discouraging use of email for a lot of communications.
I prefer emails. I’m usually busy, and sometimes people ask me stupid questions or things that don’t need an immediate answer. If it’s an email, I can prioritize it properly.
Ours are almost always email or occasionally face to face. Email is good for most things because it is asynchronous. The person on the other end doesn't have to drop everything to talk to you. Phone calls are almost limited to urgent, must talk right this minute topics which are really very few.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
If you email, put your point in the subject line, and keep the body of the email to about 2 sentences, is my advice. Managers won't usually read past that anyway, is my experience. Think maximum 30 second sound bites. Preferably less. And they may just have time to glance at subject lines, so if you can say what you basically need to say in the subject line, you'll be in good shape.
Subject line: Prefer email or phone calls?
Body: Hi Boss, Do you prefer emails or phone calls for communications from me?
Mrxalleycat
I know execs like those short bullets, but in our world they lead to a lot of misunderstandings and problems because they don't have the background knowledge to make good decisions. The issues are just to complicated. What's become sad to me is that any decision that can be made off a sound bite is probably not worth an exec's time. And any decision that really needs their level of involvement is to complex to fit in a couple of sound bites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by runswithscissors
And if you sent that to me, I'd return it saying "Ask me this in person".
Why is this even an issue? Everyone assuming subordinates work in other locations away from their supervisors? Is this the THING now?
Oh, no. Rather the managers spend most of their day off meeting with each other and are almost never available in their office. I can go days at a time without ever even seeing my manager (and I mean actually SEEING him), never mind talking or sitting down to discuss anything.
...
NO I don't want a bunch of emailed questions and no I don't want a bunch of phone calls. And I SURE will refuse a bunch of texts.
Not many modern workplaces where you can see the supervisor in person whenever you want.
Maybe you need a help desk like other people who require alot of direction. (not you literally, NMSFM)
My supervisors are super busy, always on the phone, in meetings etc... I usually text my questions as they will to me as well. We also email questions, discussions. I do this mainly so I can refer back to it when this situation rises again and I can't remember. If I need to I will pop in and ask a question but its difficult to catch them free.
Email creates a written record of what was said. That can be good or bad depending upon the circumstances.
Email should always be used when asking for vacation days.
Email should never be used when admitting fault.
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