Links You Can Use: November 12-16

Find out how to establish a cohesive work culture, how to "manage up" when a supervisor seems difficult, and why it's best to have zero expectations about privacy when using work email. All this, and more, in this week's Links You Can Use.

What's the most important thing in establishing a culture at work? One expert says it is the people you choose to hire and offers tips on selecting candidates. (Chicago Tribune)

A clinical psychologist offers advice on how to "manage up," especially when dealing with difficult bosses. (American Psychological Association)

Effective Email Marketing: How to Avoid the Trash Bin & Get What You Want

Email marketing campaigns are a great way to let people know about a new product, service, or event; to have them sign up for a newsletter; donate money, etc. However, not all organizations make the best use of this method and execution is poor.

People have various reasons for not reading emails. To prevent your email from getting discarded without a glance, here are some tips to maximize the number of conversions.

(In case you don’t know, a conversion is when an email recipient heeds your call-to-action; it is distinct from the response to the offering itself. In other words, the conversion rate tells you how well people reacted to the campaign, and the sales or number of sign-ups tells you how many people responded to the offering.)

To increase your conversion rate, just follow these steps: 

5 Reasons Why People Ignore Emails

“Didn’t you read the email?”

We’ve all been there, whether we’re the one who didn’t read the message or the one who got ignored by colleagues. However, if people frequently disregard your emails, the problem may have something to do with the way you are communicating.

Have you committed blunders that make co-workers tune you out? Here are some reasons why others might be giving your emails the cold shoulder:

1. You write too many emails.
Email is an amazingly convenient medium, but it might not be appropriate for all situations. If you needlessly email colleagues, they will soon learn to ignore you. The same can occur if you CC too many people. Those individuals who do not need to be kept in the loop may also start skipping your messages altogether.

Guidelines for Basic Digital Etiquette

While no one necessarily expects you to leave your phone at home or at your desk in this increasingly connected world, it’s not unreasonable that your colleagues expect that it will be set to silent and you won’t spend the entire meeting updating your Facebook status, texting, and tweeting.

It’s true that technology has drastically changed the rules for the workplace, but that doesn’t mean there are no rules—expectations about common courtesy still exist.

Guidelines for Basic Etiquette

Respect screen privacy. When approaching someone’s cubicle, stand to the side until they acknowledge you. Or come back if they seem busy. Avoid standing behind them—or hovering while they finish phone calls.

When NOT to Use Email

Despite the nearly effortless flow of electronic communication, there are times when email is not the best method for exchanging information and ideas—especially at work.

Emails being seen by eyes other than ones we intended can happen all too easily, at work and in our private lives: we are all familiar with the “oops” moment when we “replied-all” and didn’t mean to, or the forwarding we wished hadn’t happened. And there are other times when it’s just not the most effective way to communicate: even in this world of constant electronic connectedness, some interactions require a more personal approach.

When is email not the right medium?