FEATURED ARTICLE

Using Instant Messaging Efficiently and Professionally

Moving out of teenagers' bedrooms and into business offices, instant messaging (IM) is a new communication channel that our students may be using on the job. But will they use it efficiently and professionally?

Instant messaging has definite advantages: rapid connectivity, cost savings, and convenience. Some organizations, however, forbid employees to use IM-ing because it saps productivity, introduces security problems, and requires tracking and storing of conversations to meet legal requirements.

Best Practices for Instant Messaging

Despite some disadvantages, instant messaging is catching on because it saves time and simplifies communications among coworkers and customers. To help students use IM efficiently and professionally, encourage them to follow a number of best practices. The most important caution involves permission.

• Learn about your organization's IM policies. Does your organization and supervisor approve? If so, with whom are you allowed to exchange messages?

• Make yourself unavailable when you need to complete a project or meet a deadline.

• Organize your contact lists to separate business contacts from family and friends.

• Keep your messages simple and to the point. Avoid unnecessary chit-chat. Know when to say goodbye.

• Don't use IM to send confidential or sensitive information.

• Be aware that instant messages can be saved. Like e-mail, don't say anything that would damage your reputation or that of your organization.

• If personal messaging is allowed, keep it to a minimum. Your organization may prefer that personal chats be done during breaks or the lunch hour.

• Show patience by not blasting multiple messages to coworkers if a response is not immediate.

• Keep your presence status up-to-date so that people trying to reach you don't waste their time.

• Beware of jargon, slang, and abbreviations, which, although they may reduce keystrokes, may be confusing and appear unprofessional.

• Respect your receivers by using good grammar, proper spelling, and careful proofreading.