As managers there are times when we get busy in our day, and it is easier to send an e-mail than communicate face-to-face with others.  E-mail communication can be very dangerous since everyone seems to read into things differently.  An e-mail manager is one that would rather send their employees emails than talk to them face to face.

Being an e-mail manager you are taking the risk of not getting the buy-in you need from your staff, and you are also risking your message being read by the wrong person or by the right person at the wrong time.  Face-to-face communication builds trust with people and it will help you get your message across effectively to each and every individual.

One of the biggest disadvantages of sending e-mails is e-tude!  People read e-mails differently, and something that you may think is harmless could really affect someone’s thoughts.  This is an issue you shouldn’t have with face-to-face communication.  I can count about 100 instances of when an email was misread, but I can rarely pin point a face-to-face message that went wrong. People sounds rude or inconsiderate when they don’t mean too in e-mails and it can really cause some unneeded animosity amongst your team members.

Gaining buy-in, trust, and delivering a solid message are three main reasons why you shouldn’t be an e-mail manager, but I am sure there are many more.  So next time you are about to send an e-mail to your team, think for a second, and maybe you will decide that the message would better be addressed in person.  Remember, e-mails last forever so don’t put something down that could hurt you in the future.