Keep these rules in mind as you write or respond to online messages
Story by: Alan Naditz
When it comes to writing and sending emails to coworkers at work, odds are you do your best to practice good email etiquette. After all, you know the importance of well-written messages: poorly written email can result in confused communication, damage your company's professional image, and could even lead to legal issues.
On the other hand, a properly written message can lead to better productivity, enhanced work relationships, and even encourage others to send the same types of messages to you. And your inbox will even be less cluttered because of less back-and-forth.
The question is… are you using good email etiquette when you send, respond and manage emails or are you doing something that's on our pet peeve list? Here's a sampling of email peeves—and how you can prevent or rectify your style.
Pet peeve: The unclear (or missing) subject line
"I can't stand it when I get an email and there's no subject line, or when it says something vague like 'About the project.' Even worse is when the subject line no longer matches what the email is about due to numerous replies and forwards."
Quick fix: Always double-check your emails before sending and make sure there's an actual subject in the Subject line. Write a strong and concise subject line that explains the email's purpose and what action the recipient should take. Include elements such as "Action Required" or "AR," or "Help Needed." If the email has been in circulation and the content no longer matches the subject line, write a more appropriate one before you respond, or start a completely new email.
Bonus fix: Use the subject line as your entire email if your message is short enough, ending it with <eom> ("End of Message") so people know they don't have to open it.
The "oops" factor: Forget using statements like, "Read ASAP and get back to me." Also, stay clear of "yesterday," "today," or "tomorrow," as these may force the recipient to figure out what day you actually sent the mail. Use specific day and dates, if the content is time sensitive.
Pet peeve: Multiple subjects in the same message
"I hate it when the subject line says one thing, and I get an email with a half-dozen other topics."
Quick fix: Stick to one topic. If you need to discuss more than one subject, send multiple emails with subject-specific headings. This will make it easier to scan subject lines later to find the message you need. It also contributes to briefer e-mail messages and a greater likelihood of a response.
Bonus fix: Send an email alerting recipients that there will be more than one message coming their way, or make a note ("1 of 4", "2 of 4", etc.) in the subject line.
Pet peeve: The ultra-long, in-depth email.
"People send me emails that are five, six, 10 paragraphs long. I don't have time for a novel—just give me the key points."
Quick fix: Keep your emails concise. Remember that reading an e-mail is harder than reading printed communications and a long e-mail can be very discouraging to read (if it's read at all). Make your most important point first, then provide detail if necessary. Give an AR if necessary.
Bonus fix: If you need more than one two paragraphs, or there are more than three emails in a thread, you're better off talking to each other in person or over the phone. Or, include a background or summary of your message at the start of the email.
Pet peeve: Too many "thank yous," "hellos," and other pleasantries
"I hate it when my manager sends out a 'thank you' or 'good job' to someone in our group—but does it by hitting 'Reply All.' I don't need to see someone else's kudos!"
Quick fix: When communicating to someone within office, it's okay to say no to sending out the "thank yous." Although it's a show of courtesy, it's also just one more email to process.
The "oops" factor: Avoid sending that single-person "thank you" to the entire team. The others won't care about mail that is not intended for them.
Pet peeve: Overusing the "High Priority," "Urgent" and "Important" options
"Lately, it seems like every email I get is marked 'Urgent' or 'High Priority.' They can't all be the most important things to read. If so, then none of them are."
Quick fix: Use careful judgment when flagging emails as more vital than others. If you overuse these options, they will lose their importance when you really need them.
Bonus fix: Make it easier for a recipient to decide which email to read by using the "Low Importance/Low Priority" status for emails such as FYIs.
Pet peeve: Getting messy-looking emails
"I get emails that obviously weren't read by the writer before they were sent. They're full of typos, misspellings and missing words. Sometimes I have no idea what they really want to tell me."
Quick fix: Always give your email a thorough re-read before you send it. Improper spelling, grammar and punctuation give a bad impression of you and company, and it can prevent you from conveying a message properly. You'll also prevent time-wasting confusion. Remember to use the spell check function—an email is no different than a Word* document when it comes to writing one.
The "oops" factor: Other mistakes to avoid: using an incorrect person's name or email address; referring to the person by the wrong gender; forgetting to actually attach your attachments; and firing off that email before you're done writing it.
Pet peeve: Slow (or no) replies to an email.
"Too often, people ignore my emails or don't answer them for days. I usually send the email because I want or need an answer sometime that day. Often, I don't even know if they've read the message."
Quick fix: If you're the email sender, include a "reply by" time or date. Use a Read Receipt on the message if desired. If you're the recipient, try to respond as soon as possible—preferably within the same work day. To keep emails from piling up in your Inbox, dedicate 30 minutes to 60 minutes per day to answering the urgent or quick mail (the ones you can handle in less than five minutes). If your email requires a more-detailed response and you can't get to it right away, send a short reply saying that you will respond within a certain time period.
Bonus fix: Consider when you need an answer, and what the most effective communication mode might be. For immediate, brief responses, send an instant message. For more-detailed situations, go old school and pick up the phone, or visit their cubicle.
The "oops" factor: Be reasonably patient with responses—not everyone is sitting by their PC waiting to answer any emails that arrive. If it's that urgent, an email is probably not the best way to communicate.
Pet peeve: Confusing the "To" and "Cc" email delivery lines
"I often get copied on items that do not involve me. And then I get inundated with replies when other recipients respond, usually through 'Reply All.' People need to learn who to include on their mailing lists."
Quick fix: The people you include in the "To" field should be those you expect to read and respond to the message. You should only Cc people who have a need to stay in the know.
Bonus fix: Consider using "Bcc" instead of "To" or "Cc" to prevent people from being bombarded by replies when other recipients hit "Reply All." This is particularly handy when using a distribution list of more than 10 names. The downside: The Bcc'd recipients can't use "Reply All" without giving away their identities.
The "oops" factor: In all cases, it's a good idea to leave the "To/Cc/Bcc" lines empty until you're sure the email is ready to go, to avoid sending out an incomplete message or one with errors.
Pet peeve: Misuse of the 'Reply All' function
"I can't tell you how many times I've received mail I shouldn't have because of 'Reply All.' I've sent a few things out to the wrong people by accidentally hitting that button instead of 'Reply.'"
Quick fix: Use "Reply All" with caution. If you receive an email with multiple recipients, good etiquette usually calls for you to reply to everyone—within reason. If the email went to your entire department, there's a chance not everyone will want a response from you, especially if you're only addressing one or two persons from the group. Read your recipient list carefully before you send.
The "oops" factor: When responding via "Reply All," make sure people know who in your group a comment is addressed to.
Pet peeve: Using "Cc" to coerce employees
"I wasn't the fastest at replying to someone's email. Now they Cc my boss every time they send me a message, no matter what it's about."
Quick fix: Talk about bad karma. It's one thing to copy someone's boss as a courtesy. It's another to copy that person as a way to coerce the original recipient into getting something done. Before you start filling the manager's Inbox with your record keeping, try other communication methods, such as a phone call or instant message.
The "oops" factor: Don't "copy up" without providing the context. Consider sending a message to the manager instead: "I've waited 10 weeks for this person to do this. Please make him do his job."
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