The family and I went on vacation last week and just before we left I had to go through the corporate exercise of setting an automatic "Out of office" message. Now, I could go for the obvious yet effective
I'll be out between [start_date] and [end_date] with limited access to email. Please call my department at [phone] for any inquiries. Thanks!
Instead I went with -
Hi! ✨
I'm out of office returning Monday, April 1 (even though it's April fools I'll be here, promise) and will have limited access to email.
For urgent stuff, don't hesitate to text me at xxx-xxx-xxxx or dial the marketing awesome solve-your-problems line at x1234.
While you are waiting my return, feel free to get to know me better and read about -
Why do I bring a notebook to meetings over a laptop
Prioritizing user problems
My personal mission statement
Have a great week!
Omer
My thought process around the more personalized, self promoting format for the out-of-office message was that I have an opportunity to deliver a message to internal members of my organization in an informal way.
My thought process around the more personalized, self promoting format for the out-of-office message was that I have an opportunity to deliver a message to internal members of my organization in an informal way.
Another benefit of those out of office messages that I didn't think about was how deep into the organization those messages actually get (!) As a member of several cross functional teams (and as a result - email listings) every time someone from a distant team looped me in on a conversation, they got the message and got exposed to the 'get to know me better' part.
The results were awesome: One of the parts that's important for me to be successful is laying broad communication lines that also run deep and cross-pollinate. While formal meetings and work email have their merits, there is great value is exposing informal, more personal aspects of communication to build that ever so vital social capital.
I got plenty of great feedback on the actual content from people in teams I don't usually reach, which in turn gives me the opportunity to form additional connections. So OOO messages as personal marketing? I say it's a thing.