Emails from manager

[sootysweets]

I am a fairly new manager and my team are complaining that I send too many emails. Looking at the past week, I send between 2-4 a day (bear in mind we are working remotely and so I don't see them in the office, and I work 4 days so they have one day without any emails at all from me).

Most of them are one or two sentences/ for info emails. Max one a day is an actual request to action something. If it's a complicated issue I call or wait for a team meeting.

I manage 3 staff and 2 of them get very upset that I send too many emails but I can't see a more efficient way of communicating with the team, I am not going to call round all of them every time a little thing comes up.

Do they just need to accept this or AIBU?

How many emails do you get from your manager?

Or if you are a manager, how many emails do you send your team?

@sootysweets I agree with pp one email a day or even every couple of days for the info/updating comms. For tasks or urgent action a timely email is fine.

You sound like a good manager I.e. not micro managing but wanting them to be kept up to date.

The real issue is your former peers are not behaving professionally, essentially they are not happy you are now their manager. Tough.

You say you have monthly supervisions, I assume these are 1:2:1s, you need to use these to draw a line in the sand. Start by acknowledging that you are doing things differently than previous manager and appreciate that it will have been a change for them. [if you can give examples when previous manager left them out of comms and they complained]? Advise them you have now been in the role x months and you have allowed some time for them to adjust but they still seem to be struggling to accept your management style why is this? Then stay silent and let them talk.

Listen and then respond, say taken on board about emails and reduced frequency but as the manager you will communicate in the way you feel is appropriate. You may want to drop in an expectation they behave professionally (this may be better if you have to talk to them a second time.)

If these emails are just for info do they really need that info to do their work? Is that info available elsewhere? Going for a daily digest sounds like better approach if they really need the info. I’m not sure I could get worked up about a few info emails but haven’t been an employee in many years.

Do your team actually deliver consistently for you? Tbh they sound like an experienced team who know what they’re doing, and only need a very light touch. This is the kind of team I’d love to manage tbh, rather than one needing constant micro management.

I actually think 2-4 emails a day is excessive. What do you talk about in those emails?

I have a really good relationship with my manager, I see him as a friend. But when he has a day of several emails, it feels overwhelming and a bit like “can you just leave me to get on with my job”.

I don't mean things you've already asked, I mean things they've being doing perfectly well for years without anyone asking them.

You say the team wasn't previously well managed, but was it performing? You don't need to manage everything to be a good manager/leader. Part of it is trusting the team to do what they do, until/unless they show you they can't be trusted to do that.

It might just be that they have the hump about your promotion, but a good manager would recognise and empathasise with that. It is hard to work for someone who was previously you equal and there will be obstacles to overcome. They're your obstacles, to support them through, not theirs though.

Sounds like they are put out that you are now their manager rather than colleague.
Some people may not think you deserve it , some resent that you probably now earn more , some don't like the change , some resent that they didn't go for it .
All of these reasons quite invalid but that's how people often react and then try to be as obstructive/ critical as possible .
I had this years ago from a girl who thought she should have been promoted ahead of me . Lots of undermining and nitpicking about everything I did . Luckily my boss could see through her and had a "frank " discussion as to her tactics .
If you feel the amount of emails you send is valid then send them . If you want a team meeting then have one . Don't be bullied by their demand - you are now in charge and if you are acting reasonably which it sounds like you are then they need to get on board !

Haha 😂 I'd be stoked if that's all I got

This

Could the fact that they didn't want a daily Teams call be down to the fact that they would actually have to show up for it?
If you did the teams call at say 10am for 15 minutes, they would have the rest of the day to sort out whatever work is on their To Do lists until the next day. If they run into issues, then they can ping you on Teams to raise it with you the same day or wait until the following morning at 10am to raise it there.
It sounds to me like the liked the hands-off approach a bit too much. They weren't being watched or monitored to the same extent as you're doing.
If they don't like a daily Teams chat, perhaps say to them for a trial period, you're going to schedule a meeting on a Monday and Thursday with them for half an hour to discuss things planned for the week (on the Mon) and wrap up on Thursday. When they know that it's just two meetings rather than a daily thing, they may be more open to it.
You also can also say to them that you need them to attend these meetings to begin with, but over time their frequency/level of detail can be adjusted as the team grows and develops. You're their manager now. You may have to put a pin in being their friend too (at least for the short term).

Can't imagine telling my manager I don't want to do a 15 min teams call! And that he can't send me more than 3 emails a day! 😂

They are testing you OP...listen to them and then say this is the way things will happen. (Be reasonable obviously)

You just send a Teams request for a 10 minute catch up meeting Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (or whenever) or continue sending the emails.

Are you are working from home? Would they be anxious if you walked up to their desk and provided the information? Or put your head around their office door?

Do you have any other collaboration software e.g. Teams or Trello?

If you are asking them to do something an email might be fine but if for instance you're sharing info, you could do it in a different team as a teams update on there and they can look in their own time.

Whatever you decide, just be clear where and how they will receive info. Then hold a quick team meeting for 30 minutes once a week. People don't like to feel micro-managed.

Do you have any concerns that they aren't doing their jobs?

I am in a similar position, small team and we all went for the section head role. I got it and it's been a challenge! Stand firm, you are the one with the responsibility on your shoulders. I get in excess of 100 emails daily, it's about being organised and deciding the order of priority. If they are struggling with 2/3 from you daily there's an issue and it's not yours. I do a weekly up date which is in sections of information only, immediate actions, medium term and long term actions. Once sent I host a quick teams to discuss and ensure everyone understands, has the resources they need and raises any concerns. I put dates against actions. Feels like I spoon feed sometimes but it keeps everyone on track and makes them accountable. My team of are well paid so this is my expectation of them. It's hard, I'm a year in now and it's got better. Just one lady who constantly reminds me she could do better. I just remind myself that I got the job!

I guess it depends on the job. I might send anything from 0 to 30 emails a day, plus a few WhatsApp messages thrown in. They will email to the work group up to about 10 emails a day.

We have to share all information.

I'm on a break and I started at work at 10:00hrs. I have had 9 emails from my manager so far. They are not intrusive though. One is telling me about a training course change of venue, another is saying that the secret Santa envelope is in her drawer, another one is asking if I need any help with a project, another one is from her boss about vacancies in the company. The others are responding to things I have asked in the week. I can't understand colleagues getting anxiety of a few emails! The only things I can think of is that previous emails meant they were getting a bollocking about something or they are trying to intimidate you.
You manage how you see fit and as long as you are supportive, respectful, consistent and treat them like adults they should hopefully come round. They are boundary pushing.

I don't often get mails from my manager, but we have a weekly 1:1 meeting, and we ping each other on instant messenger if either of us has a query - we've also got a group channel for things like production outages, to make everyone aware. It's two-way - sometimes he's telling us stuff, sometimes I'm telling him. Often it's dull company stuff, that he is expected to share with us, but we all accept that some things are there because he has to send them.

Does it have to be email? A group chat channel could work. A shared folder gor project updates, and a daily link highlighting new figures on X are now available, that sort of thing.

If they think it's too much mail, then... they need to work with my in-box for a day! But also, if they don't like it, what are their solutions, if they agree that some information exchange must take place? (If they don't agree that you need to share some things, that's a separate challenge- we have a couple in our department like that, and it's just infuriating at times.)

Sounds like they are just being difficult because you’re now their manager. I’d email them as much as you need to.

I’m a manager with a largish team, they send me loads of email per day and me the same. I wish I only got 4 emails per day!

Thank you everyone. There's lots to reflect on here and it has been really useful bouncing thoughts off you all.

There is definitely an element of them not liking that I am their manager. I'm also really mindful that I want to be open to different approaches and ways of working, and accept feedback.

It's very difficult as a new manager to balance these two things and I'm constantly asking myself - are they giving me certain feedback because it is truly how they feel or because they dislike me being in charge?

Anyway I don't plan to stay in this first management job for too much longer, and I look forward to managing a team who will always know me as a manager. Changing dynamics is a minefield!