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TEMPLATES AS COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS We recently worked with an organisation where staff receive up to 100 emails each day. That may not be uncommon these days but the situation poses a risk that really important information will be lost in this electronic deluge. The situation becomes critical if, as they watch messages fly everywhere, managers lack a way to keep track of what is being been passed to whom and when. Email is certainly a great tool which few people would willingly give up. But there must be a way to better control the tidal wave of words heading for our inboxes. One way of managing information is to use pre-formatted templates to make sure important information is written down and recorded. Guided by common fields in computerized layouts, staff fill in the templates, and then register and archive each one before emailing them as attachments to fellow workers. While this may not reduce the number of emails sent out, it can certainly reduce the amount of text in each email and keep tabs on what leaves head office. Line managers might be responsible for templates that deal with their areas of expertise and people higher up the chain can be authorised to release completed templates that contain information needing urgent action, or material that is particularly sensitive or destined for the public. Organisations that generate large volumes of information might also need some type of central repository to house corporate information. Here completed templates, correspondence, etc can be stored in one place that staff can easily search and retrieve what they need. The idea of templates and databanks is not new. Military forces have used templates for generations to make sure troops in the field capture critical details for reports that go to higher headquarters. However what may be new is using templates as an internal communications tool to provide a consistent way to present, record and pass significant information to staff. |
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