Email Communication and Office Politics

Email - the evil communication tool surrounding all office politics. Whether it is a message that started the problem or the back and forth messages that add fuel to the fire, email offer little solution.

I once heard a colleague refer to email as the telegraph of the twenty-first century. While the telegraph is never used in the workplace, the concept is not lost in email. I send a message to you and you send one back. Your reaction to a message/response is often based on the words with no opportunity for interpretation based on body language, inflections or tone. What makes email worse is the ability to shift blame or justify a position to a wide variety of people including bosses and teammates.

People often prefer to send an email rather than face issues head on. How often have you sent or received an email from someone that sits beside you? HR professionals like me rely on email daily for communication and the ease of transferring files and information. Unfortunately, instead of Human Resources Departments finding ways to add value through better training, recruiting and retentions strategies, we often spend too much time mediating and getting people to talk face to face to find solutions.

Take the time to get up and talk to co-workers, bosses or teammates. Make communication a two-way process by asking open-ended questions (What do you mean?, How can I help?, etc.). Don't respond to messages when you are angry or upset. Keep the integrity of others by carefully choosing who you copy on messages. Remember that there are no winners in email battles.

Owen Mason
Director Human Resources
News Marketing Canada

Owen Mason is a dynamic Human Resources professional with a passion for adding strategic value. A graduate of McMaster University and of Humber College's post-graduate Human resources program, he is a solid HR Generalist with exceptional strength in Organizational Development and Project Management. Owen has had a circuitous path into the world of HR. Over the past twelve years he has held management roles in the areas of sales, marketing, operations, client services as well as at a Director level within Human Resources for the past three years. This experience has included exposure to many of Canada's top organizations including Nestle, Pepsi, American Express and Cadbury Chocolate to name a few. Today Owen can be found sharing his enthusiasm and energy within News Marketing Canada (a News Corporation Company) as a leader helping grow a team of over 10,000 people within Canada's leading marketing solutions organization.

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