2017-04-10 How to Write Effective Email Communication with Your Remote Manager?

Hi team

I took a training course with other Shopee leaders last week. There was an interesting leadership style assessment about myself. The team had gone through very extensive discussion about each other's style and understand how those styles can work towards to a cohesive and high performing team in Shopee. I’ll talk more about my personal result after I fully grasp the meaning. Today I would like to share my “Motivation Diamond”, which measures my motivation status in 4 dimensions.

Jianghong's Motivation Diamond

At this stage of my career, I give more weights to “Achievement” and “Meaning”. You can call it pre-midlife crisis, but I have this anxiety of reassuring self-esteem via meaningful results. My expectation to growth is more realistic now, and currently I have been "comfortably challenged” by new opportunities. As give-and-take, I gave up enjoyment for the time being. In fact, if I value enjoyment, I probably won't join Shopee.

Overall speaking, my motivation diamond is well fulfilled so far. Some gaps in meanings and achievements, largely because I still don't quite get the gist of e-commerce business value chain and how that matter to SEA markets. It should improve over in the next 12 months, I’m sure.

You are welcomed to share with me your motivation diamond, though no obligation.

Week 2: How to write effective email communication?

I didn't expect "Learning through Reading" covers the same topic this week, which made my life easier. Out of the three articles, I highly recommend "How to Make Sure Your Emails Give the Right Impression”, especially below 4 rules.
Use an intuitive subject line that clearly states the purpose of the message. Bonus points if you include a header, e.g., [ACTION] or [INFORM], that helps the reader understand the expected response.

JH: It is a very good habit when your remote manager is consistently on the road. Imagine how your message appears on his/her phone notification bar. He/she will definitely pay more attention if the subject line calls for “ACTION”. In many occasions, he/she will read your email instead of a quick nap. Many of you have started doing this, kudos!

Provide a clearly stated request right at the beginning of your email in case your audience fails to read beyond the preview pane. At least you’ll increase the chances that people will understand the essence of your message.

JH: This is very important! It saves reader’s time to grasp the gist of your message, which also demonstrates that you have a good understanding of the situation.

Bold the names of anyone who’s been assigned a task or asked a question in the body of the email to increase the likelihood of it getting the needed attention.

JH: A small thing that can make a huge difference when you have a long recipient list. You may notice I do this very often.

Take the time to be nice. It will help your audience truly hear what you intended to say.

JH: Based on my experience, I totally agreed with this statement. "As has been demonstrated in the emerging field of social neuroscience, without the social cues — voice tone, facial expression, and physical gestures — that we rely on to interpret communication, we are prone to conclude the worst.” It is particularly true when both senders and recipients are NOT communicating in their mother tone.

Please start to practice these 4 rules in your day-to-day emails as directional guidelines. “The Essential Guide to Crafting a Work Email” focus more on email hygiene, and “This Billionaire CEO's Trick to Managing Emails Will Make You Insanely Productive” would be more relevant if you have to read (not receive) >100 emails a day and have to respond to 1/2 of them. “Inbox Zero” is another technique I use, which may be inspiring to you.

Regards
Jianghong