Mass emails requesting recipients to do something will most likely be filed under ‘D‘ ’ for Delete. Why? Because being in a crowd – even a virtual one – permits inaction. A direct email request, however, places pressure squarely on the recipient to respond.
Responsibility diffuses in groups
Psychology professor Richard Wiseman says that when others fail to act, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or appropriate.
In addition to this, the more observers there are, the less pressure individuals feel to take action, since the responsibility to take action is thought to be shared among all of those present.
This is the same social loafing exhibited by the deleter of mass email requests. By the project team member who never steps up to take the lead.
Or the conference delegate who greets questions with silence. Bear that in mind next time you get ready to hit ‘send’ on that mass email request.
Make it personal
Don’t send a one-size-fits-all group email. When people see an email has been sent to others, everyone thinks it’s someone else’s responsibility to respond. Personalisation is not just a buzzword – there’s an art to making people feel you’re talking to them uniquely. Pick out an individual, and clearly tell them what they need to do.
