Email Etiquette

There are many good uses for email.  It allows near-instant communication across organizations and long distances. As well, it permits workers to time-shift their schedules and hours.  However, just as email can be used for productivity, email can also be abused.  For example, the other day I received an urgent email.  The message inside read, “We need an immediate solution to this problem.”  This was a time-sensitive matter and the author was expecting action within minutes, not hours or days. Yet, sending an email was probably not the most prudent communication method under those circumstances.  In this case, the author got lucky. Even though I check my email only a couple of times a day, I happened to catch this email a short time after it arrived. Otherwise, it would have sat unnoticed for quite some time.  If immediate action was required, this person should have picked up the phone and called.

 

Here are 7 Bad Emails You Need to Avoid Sending:

1. The Urgent Email – Email is the new snail mail. People are not sitting at their desks awaiting your messages. If something is truly urgent, email is not the medium you should be using. Call, text, tweet, or anything more immediate.
2. The Reply All – Everyone does not need to see your “Thank You” to the original sender. When thanking someone, “Reply” directly to that individual. Otherwise, 57 people suddenly end up with 57 “Thank You” emails cluttering their inboxes. (True Story: I have seen a Fortune 20 company have to shut down their email due to a company-wide “Reply All” message run amok.)
3. The Email to Too Many People – Avoid sending emails to more than 2–3 people. Copying the whole gang only creates confusion and clutters inboxes. Only send emails to the individuals that directly need the information. Avoid using CC, and never use BCC (ever!).
4. The Email to No One – I recently received an email addressed to 8 people. The message said, “Can someone please make sure this gets done?” Yet, the email did not say which person should take the action. In essence, it was addressed to no one and everyone at the same time. As you can guess, everyone assumed that someone else was going to do the task, and it didn’t get done at all.
5. The Spam Email – People can find enough random stuff to surf on the Internet, they don’t need your topics, as well. Passing along random articles, gossip, and websites only clutters up others’ inboxes.
6. The Conversation Email – If your email message cannot be conveyed in less than half a page, then it probably shouldn’t be an email. It is probably better handled as a direct conversation. As well, if your email is going to require more than 2–3 back-and-forth responses, it is better to talk to the person than play email Ping-Pong.
7. The Bad News Email – Never deliver criticism via email. Never. Ever. Never. Bad news should always be delivered in person, not in a bad email. Even constructive criticism can easily be taken out of context or be misunderstood.