Issue #2

Having lived through academic, personal, and professional experiences without email, I can say that I am a big fan of email. The upside is tremendous, greatly enhancing the ease of communication and overall productivity. The downside, ineffective communication and that somewhat overwhelming sensation caused by expectations of increased productivity and an overflowing mailbox. Leahy is pointing out an important byproduct of ineffective communication and raises the question as to whether our own egocentrism can ever be overcome enough to achieve effective email communication. Another article quoted the following, "What Corporate America Can't Build: A Sentence" and seems to articulate both the problem and the solution. Greater focus and training on the essentials of "business" communication is necessary to ensure the best use and effectiveness of email. A few key tactics include keeping email communications simple and concise, audience focused, and taking the time to proofread and revise. Doing so will help improve the odds that an email communication can be decoded correctly, cause appropriate action, and increase efficiency.