SEIVOLUTION

We have all skimmed an email — or simply deleted it — because it didn't seem immediately important or useful. That was likely not the author's intention. These four tips will help your email be read, not trashed: 1. Delete redundancies. If a reader senses repetition, she is likely to start skimming or stop reading altogether. 2. Use specifics. Replace adjectives and adverbs with numbers or examples. "This large mistake is costing us lots of money" is better said, "This mistake is costing $1 million a month." 3. Stay on topic. If a sentence doesn't relate to your main point, delete it. 4. Shorten. Many people read emails on a mobile device. Keep in mind that an email with only 10 sentences looks like a lengthy missive on a Blackberry screen. -- C. Sakett

Open-source activity doesn't come into being on its own. Creation spaces, such as SAP's Software Developer Network, are intentionally crafted and thoughtfully tended to provide essential elements for large-group collaboration. Here are three tips to creating a successful space of your own: 1. Build a critical mass of participants. Keep the barriers to entry low and provide people with real-time feedback and performance measures. 2. Enable interactions. Participants alone are not enough. Encourage interaction by giving them the tools to form teams and share ideas across team lines. 3. Create a multi-layer environment. Activity in a creation space needs to happen on several different layers. Be sure you have the right protocols, incentives and platforms to allow the activity to happen on multiple levels. -- C. Sakett

With the distractions and detractions in today's economy, it is difficult to keep employees engaged. Here's how to recapture their attention and ensure they feel ownership over your company's future: 1. Communicate. There's no better way to alleviate anxiety and uncertainty than to openly communicate with your employees. Share what is currently happening as well as the game plan for surviving the recession. 2. Ask for ideas. People are more likely to take ownership over programs when they are involved in creating them. Offer forums where employees can contribute ideas on how to transform your organization. 3. Upgrade talent. If some of your current employees aren't stepping up, take advantage of a quality talent market. Make a few strategic hires to raise your organization's game. -- C. Sakett

When presented with a problem, managers often propose a solution by themselves right away. By asking questions instead, you can help team members create their own solutions and build their confidence and skills. Try these tips for asking better questions: 1. Keep them open-ended. Ask provocative questions that encourage team members to think for themselves. Start questions with "why" or "how." 2. Don't lead. Avoid asking questions you already know the answer to. 3. Encourage solutions. "What do you suggest we do to get the best results?" is a great question because it elicits ownership. 4. Create a question culture. Ask team members to bring critical questions to meetings and show that you value their queries. -- C. Sakett

For many of us, the inbox is a source of embarrassment: it's large, disorganized, and full of unanswered email. Try these tips to stop the shame spiral and better manage your messages: 1. Save, but don't over-file. Rely on your search function to find old email. The time you spend deciding where to put an email — and then later trying to remember what folder it's in — could be spent on replying to today's critical messages. 2. Keep only one email per topic. There's no need to keep every email in a string if the last email has the chain of responses in it. 3. Do daily upkeep. Spend a few moments each day getting rid of emails you don't need. -- C. Sakett