Receiving an email that demands “immediate attention” can feel like both a hassle and troublesome to drop everything that you are currently doing to address a certain situation. Luckily, there are other ways to better manage the communication of these issues and address them in the future.
“This is Urgent and Needs Immediate Attention”
Many people can agree that they see this message on the subject line of an email far too often. If this is the case for you, there might be an opportunity to improve communications and overall business operations within your organization.
A message like this can often overwhelm and frustrate the members of your team as it does not provide clear and straightforward directions. If sent after normal business hours, this can be extremely stressful for some. It truly comes down to being fair to employees. If this email is sent out on a regular basis, how fair are you being towards those who help keep your business afloat?
Just Put Yourself in Their Shoes
Imagine receiving an email like this after work hours. Think about working hard all throughout an eight hour work day and seeing an email pop up in your inbox on something that needs to be fixed as soon as possible but you have no clue what to do? You are unsure what to fix and how you should even begin? How stressful and overwhelming this situation can be for many.
Without clear information or direction, this task seems impossible to accomplish; ultimately, affecting your employees, possibly even those that are the most hard working and have the most dedication for the company. In reality, this can turn into an organization that many people would not like to work for.
Set Appropriate Work Life Balance
If members of your team feel that they must have their work devices on and an open line of communication at all times, it might be best to start making changes in the way you conduct your business. The first step in making this change is to stop sending these “urgent and need immediate attention” emails at the end of the day without any context. Instead of doing this, perhaps try explaining what exactly is the problem or what is going on. Try to be more specific in what needs to be corrected and when you expect it to be done. Try to also be reasonable with your deadlines, as well. If problems continue to persist after business hours, it might be beneficial to look into overtime or emergency pay.
It also falls on your end to honor the employee agreement that you had members of your team sign up for upon hiring. If you have to make some changes from that agreement, then you need to let employees know and have them decide whether or not to “accept the new terms and conditions”. These changes should be an exception to the rule, rather than becoming the new norm.
Be cognizant that members of your team do not live to work for you; rather, they work to make a living. They have lives outside of work and as their employer, you should respect their work life balance. In the long run, employees will feel that you not only value them but respect their time away from work.
To improve employees’ work life balances, the right technology solutions can help your business, especially during after hours when you might need something that “needs immediate attention”. At WheelHouse IT, our professionals can address any problems you might be having. To learn more, please contact us today at 954.474.2204.
