Guidelines for Effective E-Mail

Effective Leadership and Networking
Communication Skills for Professional Women

(On-site and Distance)


Copyright © 2008
                                                  Diane Howard, Ph.D.

Prepared for Keynote Presentation
Women's Expo., Galveston, TX

Research has been revealing in recent decades that for the best results organizations are becoming more team-dependent. Evidence suggests that women often have innate team-building skills and other natural leadership qualities that are critical to the highest and most long-lasting results in organizations. Such vital skills that women often demonstrate relate to the following: communication, emotional intelligence, collaboration, facilitation, negotiation, entrepreneurship, coaching, and mentoring. Most women are naturally endowed with relational and networking skills, which are being identified more and more as keys to problem-solving, opportunity creation, access to resources, and maximal productivity in organizations of many kinds. Some women are also natural leaders. Research has shown that women are commonly task-oriented and results-focused. Commonly, females are hard working and highly productive. Women should develop their natural skills and work at using them as effectively as possible. What are the marks of a female leader who is especially effective in networking with other capable women?

Research has further revealed that an effective leader demonstrates the following qualities: inquiring mind, determined drive to improve the status quo, eager willingness to move in new directions , strong sense of social responsibility, resilient ability to recover from criticism, open attitude toward learning from mistakes, and positive channeling of anxiety and energy. Effective leaders are confident, pro-active, visionaries who see the big picture and who inspire, encourage, and facilitate others to participate in productive teams, organizations, and networks toward significant and far-reaching goals. As they effectively bring others on board, they use interpersonal, intrapersonal, and public relational skills that include professional communication that is positive, constructive, influential, and respectful. They empathize, "listen," look for common ground, refrain from attacking, and avoid judging. They communicate nonverbally and verbally and in positive, constructive, and relevant ways that inspire, facilitate, and support others to produce positive collaborations, community, and results. They are role models who generate, inspire, and facilitate effective leadership, networking, and communication skills in others.

They value and respect others. Their focus is not on using others but serving, supporting, and facilitating others. They encourage personal, team, partnership, and community success by avoiding negative attacks and criticism that generate confusion, misunderstanding, conflict, withdrawal, and even personal/professional paralysis. They guide and promote high standards and expectations in a context of praise, encouragement, and mutual respect. As role models, they lead by example and generate, inspire, and facilitate effective leadership, networking, and communication skills in others. They guide by their lives and words. They are calm and enthusiastic. They are intense but not tense, passionate but not impulsive. They are expressive and articulate but not rudely blunt. They correct with patience and gentleness. They facilitate functional people and relationships. They know that healthy people, relationships, teams, and community produce the most positive, long-term, lasting, and multiplying results and products.

Here are basic guidelines for effective professional interpersonal, intrapersonal, and public communication. These personal and professional relational communication skills guard against potential irritation, conflict, and divisiveness. They generate mutual respect, willing cooperation, and positive responses.

Non-Verbal Communication Skills for Effective Leaders:

Leaders convey sincerity or insincerity about their commitment to people and projects by their body language.
Proxemics is important. Leaning in and getting close to partners and participants, without violating their personal spaces, demonstrates sincerity and concern for others.
Maintaining eye contact with others engages them.
Affect is significant. Smiles convey desire for the well-being of participants. Effective communicators convey by their facial expressions and body language that they are intensely involved in and committed to those with whom they are engaged.
Appearing visually interesting, warm, others-centered, connects audience to the subject and speaker.
Using hands is impacting. Reaching out to others communicates caring. Gesturing deliberately and naturally with hands at about waist height conveys energetic desire to connect with others.
Using body language that is confident generates in others the desire to participate. Using open gestures is inviting to others.
Staying to the side of or in front of technical equipment keeps a presenter as the central point of a presentation with technological reinforcement.
Technology should not upstage speakers. When presenters get as close to participants as possible and use remote controls or assistants to operate equipment, the participants are more connected to the presenter and presentation.
The presenter is a picture worth a thousand words. Wearing color in clothing can make the speaker look more alive.
When the leader is calm, confidence is instilled in participants.
Effective leaders display open, responsive, warm eye contact.
They do not appear aloof, distant, and unapproachable.
They look at those who are speaking with a warm, relaxed face and body.
Skillful leaders smile, when possible, because it communicates acceptance, respect, and good wishes.
1. They understand that communicating without affect contributes to confusion and conflict.

2. They avoid negative non-verbal communication that include knitting brows, crossing arms, leaning back...

Verbal Communication Skills (On-site and Online) for Effective Leaders:

Effective leaders use appropriate greetings or salutations.
They choose language carefully.

Choose words carefully
Include, restate, or paraphrase the sender's language
Break down messages into simple components
Compensate for absence of non-verbal language by adding more adjectives
Think before speaking

They don't blurt messages impulsively.

Use appropriate etiquette
Are careful with what is said in writing and face-to- face
Don't vent emotions
Are careful of what might be offensive to other people, groups, or cultures
Are careful with the tone of messages
(a) Are not so short, concise, or direct that messages sound brusque or rude
(b) Use adjectives or adverbs to clarify tone
(c) Avoid sarcasm
(d) Avoid demanding or threatening
Refrain from judging or accusing
Communicate with civility
Respect others

Effective leaders watch for possibilities of misinterpretation.
They confirm, empathize, and sympathize.

When disagreeing, they try to respect the other's position and look for common ground
"Listen" and pay attention to what a participant is saying
Don't "flame" or use aggressive language
Don't attack or criticize
Are gracious and careful in wording and phrasing

They practice civility and utilize good manners.
They do not speak or write that which is not fair, honest, or constructive.

Skillful leaders try to consider various sides of issues.

              1.   Avoid oversimplification
              2.   Avoid exaggeration
              3.   Avoid blaming and finger-pointing
              4.   Give the "benefit of the doubt"
              5.   Practice patient, kind, consideration
              6.   Ask questions
              7.   Seek understanding
              8.   Practice empathy
              9.   Respectfully agree to disagree, when there is a difference of opinion

They avoid negativism, non-constructive criticism, intimidation, threats, blaming, cynicism... because it will breed more of the same
and create a toxic environment that does not facilitate maximal personal/professional health and productivity.
They are patient, kind, and respectful.

They use appropriate closings.

References

Conrad, L. (2002). E-mail Addiction, A 12-Step Recovery Program. Retrieved August 11, 2002 from http://www.nacubo.org/website/members/bomag/1097_conrad.html.

Elam, P. (1997). A neophyte's guide to effective e-mail. WebNovice.com. Retrieved August 11, 2002 from
http://www.webnovice.com/email.htm.

Fielden, N. (2001). Internet research. Jefferson: McFarland.

Grayson, C. & Baldwin, D. (2007). Leadership Networking: Relate, Collaborate, and Get Things Done
Leadership Networking: It's About Relationships. Center for Creative Leadership. Retrieved January 8, 2008 from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/enewsletter/2007/OCTnetworking.aspx.

Helgesen, S. (2008). Everyday Revolutionaries: Working Women and the Transformation of American Life. Sally Helgesgen.
Retrieved January 8, 2008 from http://www.sallyhelgesen.com/book.cfm?isbn=0385480253 .

Helgesen, S. (2008). The Female Advantage: Women's Ways of Leadership. Sally Helgesgen. Retrieved January 8, 2008 from
http://www.sallyhelgesen.com/book.cfm?isbn=0385419112.

Howard, D. (2007) . What is at Stake in Observation of Leaders? The Psychology of Leadership and Role Modeling Influence.
Diane Howard. Retrieved January 8, 2008 from http://dianehoward.com/What_is_at_Stake_in_Observation_of_Leaders.htm .

Muoio, A. (1998) Women and Men, Work and Power. Fast Company.com, 71, Issue 13. Retrieved January 5, 2008 from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/13/womenofpr.html.

Porter, K. (2003). Women Leaders: Strategic Yet Invisible Assets. Link & Learn E-Newsletter. Retrieved January 9, 2008 from
http://www.linkageinc.com/company/news_events/link_learn_enewsletter/archive/2003/05_03_women_leaders_porter.aspx .

San Diego, G. (2002). The art of writing e-mail. Online Marketing Since 1994. Retrieved August 11, 2002 from
http://www.net-market.com/email.htm#salutations.

Dr. Howard's Books

Speak Skillfully and Successfully:
A Guide to Developing Diction
and Voice-Over Excellence

Enhanced by Technology, Not Diminished:
A Practical Guide to Effective, Distance Communication

Autobiographical Writing and Performing:
An Introductory, Contemporary Guide to Process, Research in Speech Performance

Dr. Howard's Papers and Presentations