They don't even have to tell me what the problem is, I already know. It's an email shootout. These days, email is becoming a very serious issue for us because it's a powerful mode of communication that can create relationship problems, conflict and, in some circumstances, even liability. I have seen some major mistakes at the touch of a button. She especially encourages people to talk when supervising and not use email to keep their distance.
Staff see email as documentation.
Staff feel compelled to respond because you're creating a record, whether you intend it or not. I have also seen staff compile extensive documentation on their managers, both with and without their knowledge. Thus email takes on an unintended formality. Or sometimes the formality is intended, but it just makes for bad relations. For her the situation improved when her employer stopped firing off a slew of email marked urgent five minutes before it was time for her to head home for the day.