5 classic email personalities and how to respond to each

5 classic email partalities and how to respond to each5 classic email personalities and how to respond to eachWe all have a tendency to misread client emails. The tones we hear in ur heads can dictate our responses, which could hinder the working relationship and impact the success of a project.Unfortunately, we cant pick what personalities land in our inbox. But we can try to understand them and pinpoint certain emails, helping us learn how to communicate more efficiently with clients (without pulling our hair out).Our PR teamhas generated a list of the top five types of personalities we see every day in our inbox, along with solutions for the best way to respond.The hounderYou went to bed with a clean inbox, only to wake up to a horrifying number of unread emails from the same person, each discussing the same topic with disjointed thoughts and ideas. Did you reply quickly enough?Clearly bedrngnis, because now you have another slew of unread emails following up on whether you had re ceived those previous emails. Suddenly, your inbox has been taken over by a client who needs affirmation, constant communication, and handholding at their convenience.Be calm its all about training your clients by setting email boundaries. Do not answer those emails right away (unless there is a serious crisis). Send one single email that addresses only the pertinent information crucial for campaign success.These emails create a false sense of urgency and will only cause you more stress if you dont take a step back and realize this barrage doesnt mean the world is falling apart. The hounder email personality simply wants to know youre there and are listening.The novelistAll you needed was one simple answer to a quick question you had, or a quick quote regarding the news youre pushing. Instead, you have received the annotated version of War and Peace.Our best suggestion? Skim the page until you find keywords where theactual response to your original inquiry is hiding, or be extremely specific in the what you are asking for, limiting their ability to diverge into tangents.Once youve done this, explain why the information they provided is important to the success of the campaign. Be sure to move forward in casethey decide at the last minute to pull out of an amazing opportunity. After all, those novel-length emails will prove to be your best asset to help your client recall decisions theyve made that have stalled any success on your part.The selective muteThese clients seem to be impossible to reach during pivotal moments of a campaign. They take days to respond to an action that needs immediate attention, or take weeks to greenlight a timely pitch. The radio silence becomes too much to handle when they stop calling into those mandatory conference calls that theyd to schedule weekly.To deal with this reality, you should prepare all materials for future use. Collect information ahead of time so that you do not have to rely heavily on their presence. If they need t o greenlight every idea, get their approval ahead of time in an email so you have permission to go after timely opportunities. Dont be afraid to call your client when youre stuck between a rock and a hard place and cannot move forward unless they are available.The GIF-erSometimes, its hard not to laugh when a client is in good spirits and sends an unexpected GIF to highlight a success, no matter how big or small. However, were talking about the GIF-ers who incessantly send GIFs that become a waste of space in our inbox.Dont feel tempted to send GIFs in response they are distracting and are not going to aid in your teams productivity. GIFs and memes can quickly become overwhelming and misconstrued within seconds Avoid reading into them by simply ignoring them. This rule also applies for emojis.The tattlerDont you love it when everyone in the office is copied on an email that only requires the initial persons response? We call these people Tattlers, since they seem to want every conve rsation in every persons inbox.Discretion and looping in the correct recipients does not seem to be of concern. Always assume every email you send and receive will have outside eyes on it. Be aware of the content in your email, and clearly label who you are directly emailing. Follow your clients protocol in continuing to loop in the team, even if they one-off email you. This allows the client to slowly reshape their CC-ing tendencies.Bryanne Lawless is the owner of BLND Public Relations.This article originally appeared on BusinessCollective.

15 common writing mistakes you are making right now

15 common writing mistakes you are making right now15 common writing mistakes you are making right nowLet me start this by introducing myselfImMaddie,copy editor and vorwort assistant at The Everygirl. Much of my time is spent copy editing - which means that I edit stories that come in for both grammar and style. I graduated with my degree in editorial journalism last spring, where my entire life consisted of editing and writing. Long story short, Im a grammar junkie, and have edited lots and lots of stories in my 22 years - and (very, very unfortunately) am a living, breathing example of the meme that corrects peoples your to *youre in the middle of a texting argument.Through this, I learned that when it comes to grammatical errors, people tend to continually make the same few mistakes - whether theyre a professional writer or havent touched a book since 8th grade English class. From stories for our site to billboards over the highway, these mistakes areeverywhere.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIve always wished I could shout them from my rooftop to everyone I know, but this is the next best thing. Without further ado, here are the most common writing mistakes I see, and all of the tricks Ive used to remember them1. DecadesThis is hands down the most common mistake I see - down to brands having it wrong on T-shirts.You arent a 90s baby, youre a 90s baby.*shakes fists in air*Think of the apostrophe as replacing the numbers youre omitting. Full decades do not have any punctuation.Right 90s/ 1990sI was born in the 1990s.I was born in the 90s.Wrong 90s/ 1990sI was born in the 1990s.I was born in the 90s.2. Its vs. itsThis is a tough one. Generally, apostrophes indicate possession, but with its, its the exact opposite.Its is a contraction forit is.Its 30 degrees outside.Its is thepossessiveof it.The dog hurt its paw.3. Accept vs. exceptEven though these w ords are pronounced similarly, their meanings are completely different.Accept meanstoreceive.She accepted the award.Except meansto exclude.I like all vegetables except broccoli.4. Affect vs. effectI know professional writers that arestillstumped by this one. Affect and effect have similar meanings, but one is used as a noun, and the other as a verb.Affect is a verb, meaningto influence.The game will affect the teams rankings.The rain will affect my commute.Effect is a noun, meaningto cause.The medicine had horrible side effects.(The tip I use for this one is to remembersideeffects - the most common use of the word.)5. Follow-up vs. follow upEver sat and debated this in the email subject to someone you just had an interview with before reluctantly pressing send and hoping you didnt just blow your chances at a new job? Same.Follow-upis a noun and adjective. Hyphenate when used before a noun.I sent her a follow-up email.Follow upis a verb.I contacted the manager to see if I could follo w up.6. 6am in the morningI see so many instances where people describe time as 6am in the morning or 10pm at night. We already know 6am is in the morning, so following with in the morning is redundant.7. Who vs. whomWhois used as the subject of a sentence.Whomis used when someone is the object of a verb (or preposition).TipWhen youre stuck, try substituting he or she, and him or her into the sentence where who is.If he or she works, usewho.If him or her works, usewhom.ExampleWho/whom ate my lunch?She ate my lunch vs. Her ate my lunch.The first is obviously right, so the right word would be who.Who ate my lunch?8. Whos vs. whoseWhosis a contraction for who is.Whos there?Whoseis the possessive of who.Whose coat is this?9. Their vs. there vs. theyreTheiris a possessive pronoun.Their house has a pool.Thereindicates direction.Look over thereTheyreis a contraction for they are.Theyre moving to New York.10. Principle vs. principalAprincipalis in charge of a school.I went to the principals office.Aprinciplemeans a truth, law, or motivating force.I wasnt mad at what happened, I was mad at the principle of it.11. Roll vs. roleTorollis to move on wheels (or a piece of bread you eat).My car rolled down the hill.Aroleis a part played by a person in a situation.I described my job role.12. Peek vs. peakThe top of a mountain is apeak(or the maximum of something).I climbed to the peak of Everest.Peekmeans to look quickly.Here is a sneak peek of our new collection.13. Then vs. thanThenis used to express time or what will come next.Im going to go for a run, then go to the office.Thanis used for comparison.I am taller than my sister.14. SemicolonsAh, semicolons - the form of punctuation that seems to strike the most fear into people considering using them. Semicolons arenotas complicated as people think. Here are the most common instances that I personally use themFor clarification in a series. If an element in a list requires a comma itself, separate it with a semicolon.I saw Ted, a farmer Fred, an accountant and Ned, a policeman.Before the word however when however is joining two independent clauses (which is almost always).I love cats however, I am allergic to them.To combine two ideas that are equal in position or rankAbigail likes Americanos Josie likes lattes.15. ParallelismParallelism is matching grammatical structure within a sentence.Basically, everything in your sentences needs to agree in tense and form. This makes sentences clear and a lot more readable.WrongWe went skiing in the alps, swam in the ocean, and drove in the desert.RightWe went skiingin the alps, swimmingin the ocean, and drivingin the desert. (All of the verbs are now the same tense.)WrongGyms can be an incredibly exclusionary environment.RightGyms can be incredibly exclusionary environments.(Gyms is plural, so environment should be as well.)This article originally appeared on The Everygirl.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers k now your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

The Grass is not Always Greener

The Grass is not Always Greener The Grass is not Always Greener The Grass is not Always Greener Farren, Ph.D., MasteryWorks, Inc. Today, people are moving almost every which way but up. Last-ditch economic survival tactics have forced organizations to be smaller, flatter, nimbler and networked. Organizations are changing through mergers, new leadership, change in strategic directions, or by outsourcing products and services. All of these elements promise to trigger explosive consequences in human resources. The Grass Is Always Greener Syndrome More than two-thirds of American executives are worried about their most skilled talent walking out the door and with good reason. The current economic disruption has provided human capital with an ideal opportunity to consider fundamental changes. There is a retention disaster on the horizon of historic proportion particularly for top performers. A majority of American workers are suffering from a disease called, The Grass is Always Greener in Another Pasture Syndrome. A wave of current dissatisfaction triggered by the insecurity of economic woes has driven the workforce to seek change. Your most valued employees are about to go shopping and they arent just shopping for clothes. The statistics are eye-popping. They are looking to sell their skills and talents to other organizations and competitors that will address and fill their human needs. Why Do Top Performers Want to Leave? Making smart career changes requires a deep knowledge of the world of work industry relationships and interrelationships, organizations, professions and jobs. Competent managers have that knowledge from having worked in the industry for years. Career conversations can provide a reality check for top performers before they start shopping for a change. Manages can provide them a perspective to compare that allows them make a smart comparison between their current work and other choices. Fueled by rough economic times, employees are weighing their current work situation as well as considering meeting their basic needs. These concerns include health care, working environments, economic security, challenging work and learning opportunities, housing needs, support for community involvement, and work life balance through telecommuting and flextime. Before your best and brightest jump into their cars and explore the other side of the industrial mall, your organization needs to do a better job providing these basic human needs to keep your top talent retained and engaged. Attractive competitors are addressing these concerns. How many career issues is your organization now addressing? Comparing your Pasture to your Competitors Job security has to do with the vitality of the industries, organizations and professions in which we work. Leaders and managers need to focus on the big picture in order to anticipate jobs that will be more in demand and flourish. Jobs live in the bigger context of professions, organizations and industries. To see and anticipate where the jobs will be, one has to study the current state. We strongly recommend that managers do some research on the questions below as preparation for powerful career conversations. Questions for research in the broader workplace; What industries are currently going through the greatest changes and will need the professional expertise of your direct reports? Financial institutions Healthcare institutions Education Automotive Energy Security Transportation Your current industry Others What are the issues/breakdowns driving these changes? Which of your talented people are most needed to address these changes? Which professions are most in need? What new jobs will emerge or increase because of these issues/breakdowns? What jobs might disappear or shrink? What competencies and skills will be in the greatest demand to handle these issues? Questions for research in your current organization: Based on your organization mission and strategies, what professions will be most important in the next 2-3 years? What competencies and skills will equip a professional to handles those needs? What offers/proposals/recommendations could you make to your organization that would let your people make a greater contribution to solving those problems or addressing those needs? What would be the nature of new jobs or projects? (Thats how new jobs come into being) Leading Career Indicators If you can answer yes to most of the statements below, you can attract and keep great people. Research has shown these are the indicators of vital industries, professions and organizations. How do you stack up? Industry Demonstrates high growth potential Is a successful competitor in global markets Serves a basic human need that will exist for many years Keeps up with changing technologies Continues to expand products and services Organization Has a clear, powerful and inspiring mission Has leaders from the core professions of the industry Has access to the latest technology and telecom tools Conducts on-going RD a leader in the industry Has well-respected managers people want to work with them Profession Professions you supervise are essential for fulfilling the mission Has a clear path for attaining mastery Offers a high degree of personal and financial compensation Has professional or trade associations for easy membership Requires people to work with and communicate with colleagues outside the organization These leading career indicators are the factors that talented employees are assessing. If you have more negative answers than positive, you may be at risk of losing key people. Do your homework and be able to speak powerfully with your direct reports about the leading career indicators that are present or missing in your organization. The objective is to be in a vital industry, in a vital profession, in a vital organization. How much greener can that get? Summary To drive retention, managers and leaders need useful strategies to address issues of dissatisfaction. They can begin exploring potential retention risks before their top talent explores external options. What is the prescription for the Grass Is Always Greener Syndrome? Take the first step and research your competitors. Understand how you stack up on the leading career indicators and engage your talent in meaningful, honest, and proactive career conversations. Author Bio: Caela Farren, Ph.D., is President of MasteryWorks a leading Career Development solution to large to mid-size companies, including Sprint, Lockheed-Martin, and Capitol One. MasteryWorks provides enterprise web portals, training, consulting, and an assessment framework for employees and managers. Her strategic approach consistently delivers on employee engagement and retention goals for her clients. Visit www.masteryworks.com or contact Tom Karl, Executive Vice President at (703) 256-5712.