Just Say No ... to e-Mail? “告别电子邮件”？
毫无疑问，电子邮件显著改变了我们的沟通方式。从商业角度讲，这并非总是有利，面对面的交流更胜高科技一筹，因此一些公司提倡“周五没有电子邮件”的活动。美国PBD Worldwide Fulfillment Services公司首席执行官斯科特·多科特要求属下每周五拿起电话或面对面地进行交流，并在其它时间也尽量减少使用电子邮件。结果是解决问题的速度加快了、团队合作性更强、顾客也更满意。
Scott A. Dockter knew things were bad when he found himself e-mailing his assistant seated a few feet away. But it was more than his own e-mail habit that prompted the CEO of PBD Worldwide Fulfillment Services in Alpharetta, Ga., to launch "no e-mail Fridays."
He suspected that overdependence on e-mail at PBD, which offers services such as call-center management and distribution, was hurting productivity and perhaps sales. So in July, he instructed his 275 employees to pick up the phone or meet in person each Friday and to reduce e-mail use the rest of the time.That was tough to digest, especially for younger staffers and some senior managers. "We discovered a lot of introverts（内向的人） . . . who had drifted into a pattern of communicating by e-mail," Dockter says.
But in less than four months, the simple directive has resulted in quicker problem-solving, better teamwork and, best of all, happier customers. "Our relationship with PBD is much stronger," says Cynthia Fitzpatrick of Crown Financial Ministries. "You can't get to know someone through e-mail."
Though the BlackBerry has become standard armor（保护层） for executives, a few maverick（持不同意见的） leaders are taking action to reduce e-mail use.
Limitations of smileys
The problem isn't just the distraction（分散注意力） of spam（香火腿） or stuffed inboxes. Nor is it the potential for legal liability（义务）. A bigger concern, say academics and management thinkers, is misinterpreted（误解） messages, as well as the degree to which e-mail has become a substitute for the nuanced（微妙的） conversations that are critical in the workplace.
"Business has undervalued the social dimension of communication," says Daniel Goleman, whose new book, "Social Intelligence," examines the science behind interpersonal connections.
Recent research suggests that the perils（危险） of e-mail are greater than many assume. Justin Kruger, a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, has found that as few as 50% of users grasp the tone or intent of an e-mail and that most people vastly overestimate their ability to relay and comprehend messages accurately.
Smiley（在网络上沟通或书信制造出的一些表情符号） faces and exclamation points just add another layer of confusion. Misinterpretation is highest, Syracuse University professor Kristin Byron has discovered, when the e-mail comes from a boss.
Stubborn habits
Still, few companies have tried to tackle the problem of e-mail run amok. As Julie Freeman, the president of the International Association of Business Communicators, notes, most corporate policies are "aimed at protecting the e-mail system rather than helping you be an effective communicator."
Many companies are adding collaborative（合作的） tools such as communal Web pages, or wikis. But the challenge of getting people to talk remains, especially among younger staffers for whom e-mail or text-messaging has become the default mode of discussion.
Such issues call for an overhaul（彻底检查） of e-mail policies. Richard A. Chaifetz, the CEO of Chicago-based employee assistance provider ComPsych, has directed his 350 staffers to curb（控制） e-mail. "It should be used to send a large document to read or when written communication is absolutely necessary," says Chaifetz.
Others urge banning it in sensitive situations such as major announcements, firings（解雇）, job evaluations and any form of criticism.
Outlook's e-mail alternative
Another solution may come from the home of the Outlook e-mail system itself. In its 2007 version of Outlook, which goes on sale to corporate customers Thursday, Microsoft (MSFT, news, msgs) has created a tool that elevates the humble telephone. Users can click on colleagues' names, see whether they're available and use the program to place a call directly. (Microsoft is the publisher of MSN Money.)
Though Dockter's solution was decidedly less high tech, it has already changed PBD's culture. E-mail usage has dropped more than 80%, prompting improved communication and more one-on-one（一对一的） interaction between colleagues.
Clients are so impressed that they have started to visit and call his staffers more often, too. The biggest peril now? Getting trapped in telephone tag
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