I received emails from two CEOs this week demonstrating their ability to dispatch responses quickly and move on. No fluff, to the point – very executive!

Problem is both emails were also totally unclear. Three rounds and three days later, with the necessary details finally sorted out, we accomplished what we could have finished the first time around!

But the real problem is far more significant. I have no qualms about pushing back, asking more questions, and following up until I clear up any confusion. Do you think that is true of the average employee? People eager to appear knowledgeable, competent, determined,and willing to take on responsibility? How many times will they persist?

Most employees are going to do their best with what they’ve been given. They may engage in one clarifying round, but not two or three! Few are willing to risk looking bad in the eyes of an executive. Very few are interested in exposing any lack of knowledge or skill.

So what are the real consequences of those dashed off emails?

Lots of guessing. Guessing what the CEO meant. Asking others to guess what the CEO meant. But, ultimately, guessing. The damage may range from a wasted morning to many months of wasted effort to poor decisions involving critical customers to unnecessary delays.

In your rush to clear your inbox or your determination to increase your efficiency, don’t “act like a CEO.” Remember that the point of communication, the point of leadership, and the point of those emails, is to help your people succeed.

And the best way to do that, efficiently and effectively, is probably to pick up phone instead of the mouse!