September 8, 2010 – Star-Ledger – Newark, NJ, US
Today, there are so many ways to conduct important meetings, conversations and negotiations — face-to-face, over the phone or via e-mail, video conferencing and more. They are all beneficial methods for communicating, yet they also all have their drawbacks. E-mail in particular seems to generate strong reactions from proponents and opponents.
I still get many questions from people in the work world about when and how to use e-mail effectively. In general, the research indicates, face-to-face is best for important negotiations or conversations. For example, asking your boss for a raise via e-mail is probably not the best strategy. Your guideline should be: the more important and complex the issue, and the more important the relationship, the more you might want to consider using a face-to-face meeting rather than phone or e-mail.
Russell is the director of the Executive Coaching and Leadership Development Program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. She is a licensed industrial and organizational psychologist.
Tweet This
Email to a friend
There is 1 Response so far...
After reading this article someone asked if I knew anything about the “executive coaching program at the University of Maryland.” I could see why a person reading the author bio (which is Joyce Russell and not just “Russell”) might think that the University has an executive coach training program of some type.
That’s not the case. What the School of Business at the University of Maryland provides for all students in their Executive MBA program is an executive coach to work with the student throughout their progress at the school. It’s a relatively unique and highly value added program that gives students an opportunity to develop leadership skills by working with an executive coach.