Here's Why You Should Never Send An Email That Says 'Please Call Me'

flickr user lobraumeisterIt'll cause your colleagues a great deal of anxiety.

Have you ever sent or received an email at work that said, "Please call me," or, "I need to speak to you, please give me a ring," with no additional information?

Jon Steinberg, CEO of the Daily Mail, North America, recently wrote a LinkedIn post in which he explains why this is the most frustrating, annoying, and disruptive type of email a person can send.

"They put the recipient into a state of wonder at the very least and some level of anxiety at the other end of the spectrum," he says. "The news to be delivered is no doubt bad, the only question is how bad?"

Steinberg says the recipient can (and will) assume the "call" is likely to result in finding out a major piece of business has been lost, a key employee has resigned, they're in trouble for something, or some other bad news.

"Over the years, I have asked colleagues not to send me these messages. And if they have confidential information, they can still add some details to an email to make it slightly less baffling and anxiety provoking," says Steinberg.

For example, instead of, "Please call me. Need to speak to you," you could write, "Please call me. We have an issue with our client XYZ," or "Please call me. HR issue involving retaining an employee," he says.

And if you're requesting that an employee or colleague call you so you can share positive information with them, say so. For instance, "Good news! Call me."

Either way, make sure you're near your phone, and available and prepared to speak immediately after sending off the email. Most people would want to get the call out of the way as soon as possible, and getting your voicemail will only increase their anxiety.

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