Month: January 2025

Finding the best leader for your organization—whether a high-growth startup or established industry leader—can be a daunting enough venture, even under the most optimal conditions. While there are several ways for a Board or senior hiring executive to throw a monkey wrench into the search process unintentionally, here are seven of the most common mistakes we frequently counsel clients to avoid:

1. Going Along to Get Along

Trying to achieve absolute, universal consensus can be counterproductive and disastrous—resulting in stellar candidates needlessly overlooked and opportunity wasted. Especially in geographically dispersed leadership environments or corporations with highly differentiated business units, it is nearly impossible to develop a 100 percent complete consensus on a successful candidate. Eliminating a candidate because only 22 out of 24 stakeholders agree they would be an A+ contributor is a foolhardy move.

2. One Size Fits All (also known as “Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Results”)

Just because an executive looks excellent on paper, has been successful in the exact markets you are looking to enter, or has led through the same growth trajectory you are looking to achieve, if they are not a fit culturally and does not have chemistry with the rest of the team, the individual will not be tenable over the long term—and can seriously derail a successful organization. Unless the Board is looking to clean house, they can be sure that bringing in a CEO who seems perfect in the abstract but doesn’t “click” with management means there will soon follow a voluntary or involuntarily rebuilding of the leadership team.

3. Dragging Your Feet

Every search encounters unforeseen impediments that stretch schedules and extend timeframes, and all executives constantly manage competing priorities. However, in virtually every search process, time—and specifically, lost time—works against you. Allowing unnecessary delays to occur is committing an unforced error. Beyond the risk of losing a top-tier candidate due to a perceived lack of client interest or enthusiasm (or disruption of the natural rhythm of the search), if you believe Candidate X is a superstar, then more than likely, so does another company—one that may snatch them up by moving faster.

4. The 100,000 Mile Club

Your company is based in Los Angeles; your Chief Operating Officer candidate is based in Boston. Structure on-site interviews so that you maximize time, both yours and the candidate’s. Remember, beyond interviewing with you, they (usually) have a day job, too! Requiring candidates to return for three or more rounds with the exact same interviewers shows disrespect for the candidates’ time and can indicate analysis paralysis, that your organization is incapable of efficient decision-making.

5. “I’ll Know It When I See It”

As the visionary and senior leader, if you aren’t able to clearly articulate the ideal attributes, success factors, and profile for the superstar executive you are searching for, how will your team—including your search firm partners—know what to focus on in assessment and during the exploratory process? Or how can your vision be successfully communicated to potential candidates? It is always worth investing the time upfront to develop a clear understanding, in as much detail as possible, of the personal characteristics, experience, abilities, and organizational value-add the ideal candidate will embody – rather than the scattershot approach of “seeing what sticks.”

6. Hire in Haste; Repent at Your Leisure

Two years ago, we interviewed leading chief information officers across the country concerning hiring practices and asked each to describe their biggest hiring mistake. Almost everyone said it was when they were rolling out an enormous project and felt tremendous pressure to hire someone to manage it in a compressed timeframe. They hired quickly—settling for a “B” player or a less-than-ideal candidate—and paid the price. In some instances, the person departed on their own accord; in others, the person was terminated, but in any case, whatever time gains were realized in making a quick, incorrect hire were negated by the need to begin the hiring process again.

7. My Way or the Highway

One highly respected senior executive we know has an unbreakable rule: if a candidate is even one minute late to an interview, they are immediately disqualified. His view is that if the candidate values the job, they will ensure that they arrive with plenty of time to account for any delays. However, as critical stakeholders in their respective organizations, senior executives occasionally have last-minute conflicts that they can’t neglect. If a CFO is delayed by 10 minutes because the CEO called a last-minute meeting, it is incredibly shortsighted to disqualify them based on an intractable rule. The business world is too fast-moving and unpredictable to deal exclusively with universal absolutes.

Bringing top-tier talent to an organization is difficult enough for the best hiring executives. You can ensure the process is as efficient and successful as possible by eliminating needless obstacles and self-inflicted injuries.

While stepping into a new role with a new organization is exciting, it can also be challenging and stressful as you navigate uncharted territory. The days of long honeymoon periods are gone, so read on for some suggestions to help you springboard into your new job.

1. Get a running start

Before showing up for the first day of work, be ready to hit the ground running. Do as much “pre-work” as you can. Research the competitive landscape and know how your products/services differ from the competition. Know the immediate goals for the business, the role, and the challenges you may face, if possible. Ask to have forwarded to you priority documents to review. Know the members of your team, who you will be reporting to, and anything else that will help prepare you.

2. Build and maintain long-lasting relationships every day

You can only develop sustainable rapport or credibility with people from behind a desk. Put on your PR hat every day with sincerity, and never take any relationship for granted. Meet with all the stakeholders who have a vested interest in your role early on. If you are the CEO, have individual time with board members and your staff. Invite colleagues for lunch or coffee. If you are in a corporate role, visit the field regularly. If you are in a business unit, find reasons to interface in person with corporate colleagues via leadership councils, project teams, etc. If you are in sales, get in front of the customer often, and keep them from telling them how good you are; show them! No matter our role, we all have internal, external, or both customers. The customer’s perception is reality, and they will find a way to work together if they like and respect you.

3. Ask questions and LISTEN

You’re not learning anything when you’re talking. Embrace the knowledge that can be gained from colleagues at all levels across all functions. Be humble, ask for help, and acknowledge how you value their experience and opinions. Solicit candid feedback. Be a team player and benefit from all the resources available. Solo performers have a limited range!

4. Quickly assess your team

How does the company operate? Is it a transparent, collaborative environment? Do they visit each other in person, for example, over lunch in the cafeteria or the hallways, or does everyone eat at their desks and communicate via email? How involved is the Board? What is your boss’s management style? What is the dynamic of your team? How do different functions view each other? How open are they to change? What company events are important to attend?

5. Identify quick wins

Who do you need to impress? What short-term things can you do once you have figured that out? What can you do quickly to impress your team, the person you report to, and, if different, the person who hired you?

6. Think before you respond

Create a 90-day plan and deliver. As we all know, proper planning helps prevent poor performance. Identify the priorities and set goals to achieve business objectives. Do what you say you are going to do, when you said you would do it, and how you said you would do it.

7. Embrace change

Don’t just talk about it, do it! Any person or function without innovation and productivity is a liability.

8. Embrace the culture

You were hired because the Board or hiring committee believed you have the right skills and experience and are an excellent fit for the corporate culture. Embrace that culture. Identify the most successful people in the organization and note how they interact with their teams and colleagues. Observe the ebb and flow of the workday and absorb the unspoken rules of the company.

9. Get involved

Sign up for a company event or team and volunteer to take on a leadership role as appropriate. Learn and be proud of the company’s products and services. Strive to make your company number one in its field. Join the company’s Facebook fan page and LinkedIn page and read its blog.

10. Believe in yourself!

If you don’t, who will? You can’t fool the audience. Take a deep breath, show your confidence, and let everybody around you know that this will work out!

This article was originally published on January 11, 2011, and updated on November 14, 2018.

Anyone who has ever been involved with a not-for-profit will at some point be asked to serve on a search committee or lead a search committee’s search for a new CEO/President or senior officer. We have written previously about the responsibilities of search committee members and how candidates can prepare for a search committee interview. Still, we wanted to take a deeper look at the role of the Search Committee Chair. We turn to Steve Taylor, a leader in the not-for-profit community for nearly 30 years, currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Mission Officer of the Arthritis Foundation. Steve recently chaired the search committee for the President & CEO of the National Health Council, which has been widely viewed as a well-run search with outstanding results. Below, Steve answers the questions we are frequently asked as not-for-profit recruits using search committees.

How big should a search committee be?

I believe the ideal size is seven, including the Chairman, who should also have a vote. You could do nine or five, but frankly, if the Committee becomes too large, it can be hard to coordinate schedules. There are too many opinions in the discussions, and you want every voice to be heard. You’ll also want to ensure it’s an odd number; that way, there is no tie.

Who should be on a search committee?

Much of it depends on the position. One to three members of the Executive Committee should be on the Search Committee and supplement that with volunteers who represent different parts of the organization. I recommend looking at the various responsibilities of the position you are trying to fill. Which volunteers can best represent and understand these responsibilities? The key to a successful search committee is to want members with different perspectives who live in various places. On the other hand, you don’t wish to search committee members being so free-spirited that they are substituting their vision for that of the Boards.

The ideal Search Committee member understands the organization’s history and future vision.

And that is so important when selecting volunteers to serve on a search committee: they need to be familiar [with], embrace the board’s vision for the organization, and represent different constituencies.

Should current employees sit on a search committee?

Many organizations wrestle with this question. Sometimes, it makes sense, especially when long-term employees understand the organization. But this is only a choice with challenges.

• If there are internal candidates for the position, it can be challenging to ask a colleague [to] make an unbiased choice.
• Secondly, a committee staff member may have a different strategic view of the organization than a high-ranking volunteer or board member.
• Thirdly, it can be sensitive for an employee to be involved in salary discussions involving the successful candidate.

I typically recommend that one of the Search Committee members serve as a liaison to a group of employees or staff. In my recent search for the National Health Council, I led the search and maintained contact with the senior leadership team. While I did not discuss individual candidates, I asked the search firm for their opinions on the type of leaders we were seeking and communicated the progress of the search.

Who selects the search firm, and what should be considered?

I emphasize the importance of a strong partnership with the search firm. You want it to be a partnership, not just a firm presenting resumes. The chair should have meaningful input on selecting the search firm because they’ll be the one working [most] closely with them. Of course, the Search Committee reviews proposals and meets with several finalists. Ultimately, the Chair of the Search Committee should have a strong voice when selecting a search firm.

For me, it was critical that the search firm had experience organizing and administratively providing infrastructure to the Committee so that I and the Committee could focus on the candidates.

The chair should rely on something other than the Search Committee or search firm to coordinate all tasks. Sometimes, the chair must facilitate meetings or deal with scheduling or personnel challenges. The search firm should be willing to do more than search, as many search committee members have full-time jobs.

I advise my colleagues running search committees to be specific about what they want the search firm to do.

Do you want them to:

• Attend search committee meetings?
• Set the agenda for search committee meetings.
• Provide interview questions.

It would be best to hire a search firm to do anything the Search Committee and its Chairman cannot or do not want to do due to time restraints.

It is a given that a search firm needs to have a robust Rolodex, but I’m still trying to figure out how to evaluate that. [laughing] You can determine recent searches a search firm has conducted for similar positions as we evaluated search firms, some listed searches that were conducted more than a decade ago! That was a lifetime ago in the not-for-profit world.

Finally, I believe you need to find a search firm that is upfront and honest with you about who the lead staff will be—and that you have the opportunity to meet with that lead staff to ensure compatibility and understanding of the process you envision—before you finalize your selection on a firm.

What allowances did you make during COVID-19 in the most recent search you chaired?

Overall, it worked out well. In specific ways, the process moved more efficiently, given that the Search Committee met via Zoom and the search firm, and we interviewed the candidates for first-round interviews via Zoom. One advantage we had as a search committee was that we all knew each other—some better than others—and this familiarity allowed us to work together well virtually.

Once we narrowed the process to our finalists, we asked them to meet face-to-face, socially distancing, wearing masks, etc., with another search committee member and me. Despite adapting to video conferencing, meeting the candidate personally makes a big difference. A candidate willing to invest the time to travel to a meeting and meet a group of people, some in person, some virtually, was critical to the final steps of our process.

We were able to observe how they handled themselves in the middle of a pandemic, watch how they coordinated their presentation, and even how they arranged the papers on the conference table. In a virtual interview, you have yet to learn if the candidate has sticky notes on their computer screen providing possible hints to questions. That was important to us because that’s what the job is going to be (ultimately):

• Face-to-face meetings.
• Working with different constituencies.
• Being able to communicate and think on their feet.

Interestingly, we ended up with the same candidate if we had searched COVID.

As a search committee chair, how do you handle candidate withdrawals and surprises?

As a search committee chair or member, you understand that many candidates are currently in good positions, and you are hoping to attract them to your organization. You can’t get too nervous about that. It is part of the process. You reach for candidates; some attract, and some lose. And if a candidate pulls out, they should do it in the search process rather than later.

As for the second part of your question, as chair, you have to be flexible, responsive, and agile because issues arise that must be resolved quickly. Several times, I had to reach out to committee members individually to keep the process moving, either because a problem arose on a Friday night or because there was not enough time to call a full committee meeting. You establish that at the beginning of the search so there is a clear understanding. In every search, minor decisions may be made by the chair or by a smaller group on the Committee because trying to get everyone together all the time isn’t possible. Still, ultimately, the big decisions are made as a group.

How much time does it take to do a good job?

The time required ebbs and flows during the search. If you have a good search firm, as we did using The Alexander Group, there’s less time initially because you allow them to do the search and trust their judgment on the candidates they’re presenting. The search committee chair can focus on the higher-level items most important to finding the right candidate. Once the interview process is underway, you must be available for the search committee, search firm, [and] staff as the process unfolds. A significant time commitment is required from the chair. The organization needs someone who can commit time because you’ll never finish the search if it is not a priority.

Who should be the chair?

Choosing the right search committee chair is critical to a successful search. The chair needs to be a leader in the organization who understands its past and future vision. It does not have to be the current board chair. It could be a past board chair who might have more time because the position differs from the current board chair. It is essential that the chair can lead without supervision and is trusted by the board.

This blog was originally written and published in 2020.

During the pandemic, The Alexander Group has spoken to and, in some cases, advised clients who were adjusting to the new normal: working from home, vaccination policies, and creating procedures for returning to the office in some form. As mental health became more openly discussed as a retention and talent acquisition tool, we wanted to learn more.

We spoke to clients across the globe and conducted in-depth interviews with human resource executives from the energy, legal, and not-for-profit sectors. Each one we spoke to highlighted the current mental health issues that their employees are dealing with and the expected “great resignation” as things return to normal. Employers address their mental health challenges when returning to work.

The world is quite different now from 18 months ago. Nowhere is this more evident than in the working world, as companies deal with employees reluctant to return to the office, wanting to work partially or wholly from home, and facing many vaccination/COVID challenges. Employees are focused on health risks for their families, uncertain workplace conditions, isolation, changing relationship dynamics caused by working from home, and fear of job loss.

The CDC’s recent Household Pulse Survey showed that from April 2020 to June 2021, 23.5% of US adults had symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders, which is twice the result of a similar study conducted in 2019. We are in a mental health crisis.

As a result, employees are resigning at record levels, many citing stress, depression, and burnout. Employers are listening and are developing mental wellness programs to reduce turnover and serve as a talent acquisition tool. It is routine for potential recruits to inquire about a company’s programs and commitment to mental wellness.

Here are some strategies that many of the employers whom we interviewed are adopting:

1. Candid Conversations about Mental Wellness

Employers acknowledge the mental health crisis and are encouraging an open dialog about depression, burnout, and anxiety. It is more than talk. Executives are openly discussing stress, anxiety, and wellness with employees in a more intimate and personal manner. Managers are being trained to identify symptoms of emotional distress among their team members and to offer counsel on stress management and resilience.

2. Flexible Work Schedules

Employers must adapt to changing work patterns to compete for and retain talent successfully. Some organizations have moved to a 100 % virtual office, while others are transitioning to a hybrid model with limited days in the office or flexible working hours. Flexibility within the constraints of the position is key. Organizations refusing to provide flexibility for employees are experiencing a much higher turnover.

3. Encourage PTO and Participation in Mental Wellness Programs

Employers who offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits are finding that there may need to be more to attract and retain talent. Employers cite motivating employees to participate in their mental health and PTO plans as critical to employee productivity and well-being. Employers must advocate and encourage employees to plan for and take personal time off. At one time, it was part of many industries’ cultures to encourage and reward working long hours—nights and weekends—and some still do. However, employers who emphasize work-life balance as essential to mental health and well-being are gaining an advantage over competitors that don’t.

4. Offer Career Development Plans

Employees’ uncertainty about their career paths, opportunities, and expectations is a significant cause of workplace stress and burnout. This stress is exacerbated by employees working remotely because they need more face-to-face time with managers and mentors. Employers are responding by offering career development plans tailored to individual employees with engaging and innovative tools.

Companies should adopt a short- and long-term career development program, understanding that it must be tweaked. The plan should involve executive leadership, Human Resources, and staff and be aligned with the company’s business goals and culture. Employers should identify gaps in learning and implement cross-training where possible. This shows that an organization invests in its people and allows employees to engage with team members from different areas. Many of our clients utilize technology in a way (think fun side contests and bells and whistles) that makes the training enjoyable and entertaining.

5. Tools and Resources for Employees

The following programs have been beneficial in reducing employee stress and promoting retention:

• A mindfulness program in which a coach virtually provides weekly mindfulness exercises;
• A caregiver alliance program that provides support to parents through programming, coaching, and resources;
• Monthly talks from industry consultants to address wellness topics, including healthy eating, nutrition, and coping skills to relieve stress and anxiety;
• Mentorship programs that connect employees;
• An intranet that allows employees with similar hobbies and interests to connect;
• Resources for childcare;
• The Calm app and other meditation and relaxation applications;
• Regular Town Halls to keep employees up to date and allow them to address their concerns;
• Small, informal group coffee chats with executives.

6. Cultivating Community and Employee Engagement

Employees feel better and are more productive when they are part of a workplace community. A culture of respect and care for one another is a powerful antidote for burnout, isolation, and anxiety.

The following are programs that some companies are utilizing to support their workplace communities:

• Virtual games like scavenger hunts;
• Watch parties for the Oscars, sporting events;
• Yammer – A social networking service for businesses;
• Virtual talent shows;
• Peer-to-peer discussions;
• Peer-to-peer pods for parenting, those with aging parents, and specific challenges;
• Intranet book clubs and social events;
• Wellness Wednesdays – Each week, there is a different discussion on mental health. (Partnered with Psych Hub);
• Virtual workout groups;
• Mr. Rogers Calls – match people up with coworkers they wouldn’t usually communicate with within the organization and
• “Coffee Shop” on Zoom.

This blog was originally published in December 20222.

Should old acquaintances be forgotten, something tells me we will still remember these experiences seared into our memories. Even the most talented, exquisitely qualified, and industry-leading executives—who appear perfect on paper or over the phone—can still surprise us when we move forward and meet with them for our in-depth interviews…2022 was indeed one for the books as candidates continued to do the darndest things.

We’ve honed our multitasking skills with the shift to hybrid/remote work and the increasing overlap of personal and professional space (juggling videoconferences at home with attention-craving pets, rambunctious kids, and other distractions). But while I was, to some degree, impressed by the heroic multitasking one candidate displayed while videoconferencing with me from his corporate office – answering a dozen emails, waving away a series of people off-screen, and delivering a stream-of-consciousness narrative, all while he was a muted participant on a second, work-related, conference call – I wasn’t surprised that he was unable to remember the name of our client’s firm, and kept calling me Dave.

Speaking of attention-craving pets, we’ve all experienced Zoom calls where the beloved cat can’t resist climbing on someone’s shoulder or the family dog keeps jumping on someone’s lap. While many of my colleagues are passionate pet people, they learned long ago to store their work attire in a spot inaccessible to their canine and feline friends. Unlike the Chief Financial Officer candidate I met with, who spent five minutes of our video call attacking the pet hair on his shirt with a lint roller.

Returning to the (multi)task at hand, not everyone responded to the stresses of the recent years by doubling down on their productivity and efficiency 24×7. Countless articles were written about “Happier Hour Has Gotten Earlier During Lockdown” and “Why Cocktail Hour is Back.” My colleague’s Chief Operating Officer candidate had that in mind when he interviewed with her at the café of a downtown hotel, and immediately after arriving, ordered a beer at 11:00 am on a Tuesday.

Of course, there’s more than one way to start an interview incorrectly. I disagree with “You won’t believe what a train wreck this place is” or “I don’t know what I was thinking when I agreed to join this firm.” Something tells me you gave it about as much thought as how it comes across as trashing your current firm within the first minute of our meeting!

That said, we value and ask for complete honesty and directness. Being honest about personal commitments is expected and appreciated and can save everyone significant time. For example, when one candidate responded via email to my colleague’s initial outreach: “I’ve just purchased a classic car that requires a considerable amount of restoration, and my work and family responsibilities, my bandwidth is virtually non-existent. I don’t have time to put myself through an extended selection process. One or two interviews are OK, but I won’t do more than that. If that’s a problem, I will respectfully forgo this opportunity.” Unsurprisingly, we agreed!

And one last note regarding email: Remember to disable out-of-office replies promptly after getting back in the saddle for those who use them. Nothing shouts “eye on the ball” more than receiving “I am currently out of the office and will be returning on Monday, October 17th.” when it’s already Wednesday, November 2nd.

All the best for 2023, and we’ll see what memories this year has in store…

As the quantity and quality of our options for virtual meetings surpass Jetsons-level expectations, in-person meetings and work travel would decline. Not so. According to a report from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), global business travel spending reached $1.33 trillion in 2017, advancing 5.8 percent over 2016 levels, and is expected to expand to $1.7 trillion by 2022 (updated: July 1, 2019).

That’s a lot of time clocked at the airport lounge for many executives and hastily pecked-out emails sent while shuffling like cattle through security and dealing with flight delays. Much has been written on workplace email etiquette (see our recent blog about appropriate email sign-offs). Still, anyone who travels frequently knows that emailing can reach new heights of aggravation and inefficiency when specific, minor considerations aren’t taken before pressing send. Whether you are the one who is traveling or the colleague back in the office communicating with your road warrior colleague, bear these simple yet effective tips in mind.

When you are the one on the road

1. Set Expectations. If appropriate, give the person you are emailing/responding to a heads up that you are traveling and for how long, and thus might be slower than usual to respond. It will help them tailor their communication with you, understand time zone differences, and adjust expectations.

2. Stick to the subject. Often, we are emailing with the same colleague or client on separate projects or topics, with two separate email subjects and strings, such as “Water Buffalo Account Issues” and “Re: Bob Loblaw’s trip to Borneo next Tuesday.” When you are pressed for time, switching to a question about Mr. Loblaw in the Water Buffalo string can be tempting because it is the easiest one to access from your phone, or vice versa.

This one is tough to stick to if you are pressed for time running to catch a flight. Still, it can be problematic and more time-consuming in the long run because 1) your recipient might not realize you have switched subjects and have to ask clarifying questions, taking up more of your already limited time, and 2) when you need to see the email string on the Water Buffalo account in a week or a month or a year, you won’t be happy when you can’t find the conclusion to the conversation because it is hiding in the long since deleted Bob Loblaw string.

3. It’s an email, not a text. Avoid extreme shorthand and texting vocabulary, especially when texting with a client or someone with whom you are not incredibly familiar. It lacks professionalism, can be construed as brusque, and leads to miscommunication. The best advice is to picture the content of your email on your company’s letterhead. If it doesn’t pass muster there, don’t send it as an email.

4. Beware autocorrect. We’ve all experienced the unfortunate autocorrect malfunction, ranging from innocently amusing to embarrassing. Consider turning off autocorrect in your phone’s settings while traveling, knowing that you are less likely to catch that embarrassing verbiage before pressing send because you suddenly find yourself at the front of the security line and need to send your phone through the x-ray.

When emailing someone on the road

1. Avoid the paperclip. Unless necessary, only send attachments, and indeed not large files, to someone on the road who is not likely to be in front of a laptop before they finally return to their hotel room. Consider copying and pasting the pertinent information directly into the email so your recipient can easily find it without too much clicking and loading in spotty reception areas.

2. Snoop the calendar. If you are emailing a colleague whose schedule you can access, look at it before sending anything that needs immediate attention or bad news. If you see that they are catching a flight that leaves at 2:55 pm EST and you need something reviewed or approved, don’t send it at 2:45 pm EST, expecting that they will be able to answer your question thoughtfully. You’ll likely catch them right as the flight attendant comes by to ensure their cell phone is in airplane mode for take-off. Think ahead, send it well before, or wait until they are wrapped up.

3. Short and sweet. Brevity is always best in email communication, particularly when emailing someone on the road. More likely than not, they will read their emails in short bursts in the car service to the airport or between meetings on their phone. Don’t make your email recipient sift through 100 words when ten would have sufficed.

4. Subject. It’s always best to have a clear, concise, and on-point subject line, particularly important when getting a road warrior’s attention. A subject line reading “Question” isn’t as likely to be opened as quickly as “Tambourine Presentation Question,” having a clear subject line makes it easier for someone on the road to find an email soon once they’ve got a quiet moment to respond.

5. Show mercy with the cc. No one likes getting stuck on an email string as a cc: recipient with little to no relevance to them, and that goes quadruple for someone on the road who has emails stacking up at a breakneck pace. Before you hit “reply all,” think first about whether or not everyone needs to see the rest of the conversation and consider showing extra mercy to your colleagues on the road.

6. The curse of the red exclamation point. That red exclamation point was designed to alert the recipient that an email is, in fact, urgent. We all have that colleague who makes liberal use of this feature, who believes that everything from a bomb in the building to a birthday cake in the conference room is worthy of high alert. Don’t be that guy. Save your road warrior colleague from the frustration of first opening that email with the red exclamation point, only to find out that what YOU consider urgent could have easily waited.

Much of this advice is really “Email Etiquette on Steroids,” which almost always boils down to thinking through how your communication will be perceived by others and putting yourself in another person’s shoes. Communication gaffes caused by lapses in email etiquette are only multiplied, magnified, and set on fire when one or more parties deal with the challenges of working from the road and across time zones. Let’s all email a little nicer.