www.instantmessagingplanet.com/enterprise/article.php/1379121
By Bob Woods July 1, 2002 It's been said that in cyberspace, no one knows if you're a dog. Yet people can act like dogs, when it comes to enterprise instant messaging (EIM). Some users treat EIM communications -- messages that should have a business-like tone -- like a conversation in a bar or at a sports event. Others think EIM conversations should take on the appearance of short-message services (SMS) chats, where fully spelled-out words are dumped in favor of abbreviations and letter combinations that look like something out of a teenager's notebook. With that in mind, we've put together a guide for proper etiquette when using IM in a corporate/enterprise situation. We won't bore you with a Miss Manners-style column that starts out with "Gentle reader" and then goes on to list items that at times sound like they're straight out of the 19th Century. Instead, these recommendations are designed specifically for today's business world, where electronic communication is king. While some of these guidelines come directly from your humble InstantMessagingPlanet editor, others are from readers of the site. Those people will be credited after their contribution. This list is by no means an end-all, be-all compilation. If anything, please consider this a living, breathing document. We'll be revising and updating items for later publications. If you have a tip you'd like to see included, please e-mail me.
This one seems to be pretty obvious, but since this is intended to be a comprehensive guide, we'll address it. As with e-mail, think about what you type into that conversation window. If you're the type who immediately regrets what you've written after you hit the "send" button, be forewarned -- not thinking about what you're typing can quickly change a friendly IM conversation into a full-fledged argument. And when you're not face-to-face and not seeing how the other person is reacting, its easy to have an argument escalate into a full-fledged word war. So no matter how a conversation is going, try your best to keep a cool head when IMing. And think, think, think about what you're typing before you actually enter it into the IM window. Also... Start each request with a polite question such as "Got a sec for a phone call?" "Do you have time for a text chat question?" or "If you have a few minutes, can I stop at your cube?" Do not just start typing your question. If you see that the person is inactive, you should formulate your question to be brief. Remember that if the application is terminated your question can go away so if you are concerned, use e-mail for the detailed question and just send an IM "Post-It" that asks them to read your e-mail question. Also a person may want to keep a record of a complex question or forward it on so still e-mail for more formal/detailed questions. (Alan L. Huberty, Ford Systems Integration Services) Before sending an IM, the user should be conscious that the recipient might not be alone, might be projecting their PC for a presentation and that the eyes seeing the IM could be literally gobs and gobs of people. In that vein, any presenter should turn of IM before casting their PC display for all to see (it's easy to forget to do this). And anyone using Netmeeting or other share program where their entire PC is shared needs to turn off chat temporarily. (Claudia Siegel, DBM) Use emoticons when you sense the opportunity for misunderstanding. A smiley face can go a long way in letting someone know your comment should be taken as a friendly one, especially if it may look to be unfriendly without one. (Adriene Nazaretian, Yale University School of Medicine) On the flip side of that one... Excessive abbreviations, emoticons, and the like should be used with restraint, or not at all. Enterprise IM communications are still business communications, and should be treated with the same amount of decorum as a written letter. People will say things in via IM they would never say via a written letter or in a telephone conversation. This is particular true for younger employees who may be used to IM more as a means of socialization than as a business tool. (Aryeh Goretsky) I agree completely with Adriene, and am on the same page for the most part with Aryeh. Emoticons generally should not be used in EIM communications, but a well-placed one can avoid a heated, non-vocal argument in cyberspace. Click here for page 2 of this article. |
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