Dear Wayne … advice from the PM trenches

Defense AT&L, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Wayne Turk

* Always be professional. Use spell checking, and read over what you wrote (remember that the spell checker doesn't catch misused words). Poor grammar and spelling or instant messaging slang can make a bad impression and ultimately hurt you.

* There's no tone of voice or body language in an e-mail. If there is more than one way to take something, it's a given that someone will take it the wrong way (another reason to write carefully and read it over).

* If you make a comment as a joke, it's not a bad idea to let people know you're joking. Someone will be sure to miss the point and be offended. Probably a better idea is to keep the work e-mails professional.

* The proliferation of e-mails, the number of messages you're copied on, and the steady stream of spam make it a constant challenge to filter e-mails for what is really important. Try to answer, or at least acknowledge, e-mails in a timely manner. (That goes for telephone messages, too.) If people don't hear back, they're left wondering if the message got lost in cyberspace or if you're ignoring them.

* Don't clog bandwidth and mailboxes by forwarding virus warnings, medical horror stories, or dire predictions without first visiting a couple of e-mail hoax identification Web sites to check if they are genuine. Most are not.

Turk is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and a project manager with SRA International. He has provided consulting and supported projects for DoD, the military services, other federal agencies, and non-profit organizations.