Going on a Digital Diet Will Do You Good
If you’ve read our books, THE POWER OF NICE and THE POWER OF SMALL you know that we’ve long been proponents of unplugging from time to time. Whether you forego email for a day or two in order to strengthen your communication skills in other areas, or you close up your inbox as a way to de-stress on weekends, going on a little digital diet can do you a lot of good.
Here’s why:
It’s an easy way to make the “write” impression. With the prevalence of email and text messages, our real-life mailboxes have become receptacles for bills and catalogs. How surprising and delightful it is to receive a note written by someone you actually know! The power of a handwritten note, however, goes beyond the thank-you card or letter in the mail. Even something as little as a post-it can help you make it personal. As we read on the SmartBlog on Leadership, one manager’s effort to go the extra inch makes all the difference with her employees. Instead of simply issuing a paycheck, she writes a personal note on new employees’ first paychecks, wishing them, “Welcome to the team! Give your very best and you will be awesome here!” Similar efforts are a little way to show employees that you really care.
Productivity devices aren’t always productive. Did you know almost half of Americans sleep with their mobile phones right beside them? Well, even though we’ve been guilty of this on occasion ourselves, research has shown that smartphones do not make good bedfellows: their glowing screens have been linked to insomnia and 60% of people admit to hearing “phantom” vibrations. Now, some companies are taking note. The Wall Street Journal reports that a number of companies are enacting policies that mandate employees take time away from their work email and company phones in the evenings and on weekends. The result? Employees report feeling more refreshed when they come to work and more productive throughout the day.
Some messages get lost in digital translation. Email, text, and messaging services are often the most convenient ways to communicate with your friends and coworkers, but they’re not always the most appropriate. Many times, your tone can get lost in translation when your message is typed and not spoken. So, make sure to read your email aloud and carefully consider the content before you press “send.” If it sounds harsh or if the topic is sensitive, consider delivering the news in person or over the phone instead.
Here’s why:
It’s an easy way to make the “write” impression. With the prevalence of email and text messages, our real-life mailboxes have become receptacles for bills and catalogs. How surprising and delightful it is to receive a note written by someone you actually know! The power of a handwritten note, however, goes beyond the thank-you card or letter in the mail. Even something as little as a post-it can help you make it personal. As we read on the SmartBlog on Leadership, one manager’s effort to go the extra inch makes all the difference with her employees. Instead of simply issuing a paycheck, she writes a personal note on new employees’ first paychecks, wishing them, “Welcome to the team! Give your very best and you will be awesome here!” Similar efforts are a little way to show employees that you really care.
Productivity devices aren’t always productive. Did you know almost half of Americans sleep with their mobile phones right beside them? Well, even though we’ve been guilty of this on occasion ourselves, research has shown that smartphones do not make good bedfellows: their glowing screens have been linked to insomnia and 60% of people admit to hearing “phantom” vibrations. Now, some companies are taking note. The Wall Street Journal reports that a number of companies are enacting policies that mandate employees take time away from their work email and company phones in the evenings and on weekends. The result? Employees report feeling more refreshed when they come to work and more productive throughout the day.
Some messages get lost in digital translation. Email, text, and messaging services are often the most convenient ways to communicate with your friends and coworkers, but they’re not always the most appropriate. Many times, your tone can get lost in translation when your message is typed and not spoken. So, make sure to read your email aloud and carefully consider the content before you press “send.” If it sounds harsh or if the topic is sensitive, consider delivering the news in person or over the phone instead.
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