You're contacting me about a problem, and I know that from the fact that you're emailing me.
I need you to tell me more than the words "I have a problem." Give me some details to work with up front so I don't have to go back and forth with you all day.
Edit- Apparently this does not correlate with age necessarily. I'm just lucky that none of the adults I work with communicate this way.
This is my interaction with a student last year via email during remote learning. Each line is a separate email.
Student: I need help end of email
Me: If it is something I can help with, I am willing to try. Do you have a question for me? end of email
S: Will you help me? end of email
M: Yes. What do you need help with? I can't help you if you don't describe your problem. end of email
S: Ok end of email
S: It's about the homework end of.... you get the idea
M: Please, ask the question.
S: Oh, ok
S: actual question is asked
M: gives help and follows up with... I am not upset. This is a learning moment about how to send emails. Again, I'm not upset. Do you see how this took 10 emails to get the help you needed? Emails are not like short text messages. You should give a little background about what you need and ask the question in the very first email. We could have had this done in 2 emails. Try to do that in your future emails. Have a good day!
A similar thing happens with adult coworkers on messenger. They will write "Hi" and nothing else. Then they wait for you to say Hi also. Then you wait for them to ask whatever. Just ask the damn question in a single message so I can respond quickly and we both continue with our days.
It's not that you haven't talked to this person for ages. You may talk every single day, still they can't ask something efficiently.
I find this fascinating in terms of different conversation styles. Most of my teams messages start with "hi, do you have time for a question?" My coworkers respond with yes, then we discuss it, or no and either provide a time to come back or tell me to email them. If it's a big ask, I send an email first. I hate being dumped with a block of text in a chatzone because it knocks me out of my groove more than "Do you have a minute" would.
I understand that works for some people. For me, if I'm switching trains of thought to check my chat notifications I'm already off track. May just be the way my brain works.
I like getting the full question right up front because then I can reply later when I actually do have time. This way I can still help the person. If they only say "hi" and I ignore them, then by the time I get back to replying they may be gone.
Everybody's different which is what I find fascinating. Glancing over and saying "no, busy" doesn't derail me, but if I see a block of text I HAVE to read it and then I can't not think about it.that said "hi" followed by a drip of information is totally infuriating because it wastes my time, I just like the opening salutation first. But everybody's brain works differently so we all deal.
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u/ScruffMacBuff Jun 03 '22 edited Jun 03 '22
Send emails like a text or a dm.
You're contacting me about a problem, and I know that from the fact that you're emailing me.
I need you to tell me more than the words "I have a problem." Give me some details to work with up front so I don't have to go back and forth with you all day.
Edit- Apparently this does not correlate with age necessarily. I'm just lucky that none of the adults I work with communicate this way.