APRIL 2008: BIZ LIFE, E-TIQUETTE
New Rules for
the age of connectivity
In a world where business no longer happens during set hours
and handheld mobile devices make most people instantly
reachable, email correspondence seems to defy all conventions
— a free-for-all of nonstop communication.
But some etiquette still exists, no matter how nebulous, says
Jack Drexler, associate professor at the College of Business at
Oregon State University. “The issue is always company
specific,” he says. “Each should have its own
norms, rules and expectations.”
For example, companies that want to convey a strong image of
customer service might require that employees respond to
certain types of emails within a specific time frame. But most
companies never address the issue, allowing employees to use
their own good judgment.
At the Empire Group, a Portland interactive agency
specializing in web development, CEO Jonathon Hensley says he
and his eight employees follow a loose 24-hour rule.
“It’s an unspoken window of time for getting back
to the average, pressing email,” he says. “Not
expecting an instantaneous response shows that a social
etiquette still exists.”
In many cases, his own availability depends on the client,
Hensley says. Especially when he’s out of the office.
“If I’m working with a client, they don’t
want to hear that I’m not reachable,” he says.
“Vacation is more about allowing myself to be on call and
not sitting behind my desk.”
Daniel Wakefield Pasley, a self-employed writer and art
director who lives in Portland, agrees that availability has
become the norm, and he has no qualms about emailing or texting
any vacationing colleague if money is on the line.
For him, the social etiquette lies with the person on the
receiving end. “If you don’t want to be
contacted,” he says “turn off your
phone.”
And while the “off” button may send a clear,
albeit temporary message, ultimately it’s worth defining
the gray areas surrounding issues of availability and response
times for both you and your
employees.
LUCY BURNINGHAM
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