Team icon copyHave you heard about our red10 team’s own attempt to build a new habit around the way we use emails with each other?

As well as coaching teams to put in place the 9-Dimensions™ they need to thrive, we follow the approach ourselves. After refreshing our Vision, and agreeing new Strategic Priorities for the coming year, we asked ourselves the question:

“What new behaviours could we adopt together as a team that would make a big positive difference to us?”

After agreeing ‘Email Etiquette’ as one of the key areas well worth the return on investment, a few members of the team took away the action and amongst other things came up with the following five very practical proposals:

  1. Always respond within 24 hours if only to say that you have received the message (excepting holidays and weekends.
  2. Where appropriate, state the required action and by when first in the ‘email subject’.
  3. One topic, one email. New topic, new e mail.
  4. Pick up the phone for anything likely to cause an emotional reaction.
  5. Reply only to sender as the rule and reply to all as the exception.

Knowing that it would take a while for this to become a habit, we forgave ourselves in advance for the times we would forget this new agreement, and gave everyone permission to gently poke their colleagues when they slipped.

We’re not finished with this yet, but we’ve seen a big difference, and we’re hoping that you – as our clients – have too. Our hope is that soon we will be ready to learn another new habit and increase our capability again, just like the teams we coach do.

What new habits would benefit your team this next year?