Email Etiquette (Our Point of View)

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Email Etiquette: is there such a thing? Indeed there is; what do you need to consider doing more or less of to model attributes that are a touch bit more business savvy?

If we reflect for a moment, our world both personally and professionally have become overwhelmed by the varied points of technology in front of us on a daily basis.

We need to pay closer attention to the way in which we share information. There is this growing concern that with many of us operating at ‘nano’ speed versus the ‘warp’ speed we once knew, that we’re in danger of losing sight of what is truly urgent, important and/or otherwise. How do we strike some good balance in all that we do without overwhelming self and others while at the same time being respectful of time, which has become so precious to all of us business professionals? Email etiquette when leveraged in a respectful way can help self and others to enhance communications and manage time in a more meaningful way.

If we look in the rear view mirror a moment, many may recall the days of traditional handwritten notes, memos, formal letters traveling interoffice or through the postal system. Today we experience the gift of technology in ways we are still learning with email, facebook, twitter and blogging, right down to sitting in a café enjoying facetime or skype with all these tools of technology the new norm and no longer the exception.

Think about this interesting thought; have you ever written an email when pressed for time then quickly hit the send button with no time to edit? Then a few moments later something does not feel right and then you go back into your sent bin to check and realize in a moment of panic an important message went to the wrong person. You now find yourself scrambling and wonder, so what is the etiquette; I can’t just ignore it. So what do I do? Do I call them to apologize; do I recall the message without an explanation along with a host of other options. The answer in this case is not so simple and we find ourselves in ‘iPanic Mode’ seeking to recover from this unfortunate incident.

The question before us is to simply ask; how can we leverage all of this wonderful technology both personally and professionally to ensure that it is working for us rather then against us and with the care, respect and attention that we can all appreciate?

Understanding a bit about email etiquette can only enhance your relationships.

We believe there are many business professionals practicing effective email etiquette.  Take the time to preview our thinking and strategies as they will help to heighten audience appreciation as to some of the finer points of etiquette.

We are delighted to share our Point of View to support your success in the workplace.

Consider the following tips

  • Email is a powerful communication tool so be sure to remind yourself that once you hit the send button to your intended recipient, you have little control as to its journey and destination therefore; be thoughtful, respectful, caring and professional.
  • Remind the reader as a courtesy if you wish the information to remain confidential and further validate it by hitting the confidential indicator in your email.
  • Be clear and specific in your communications. Ensure the reader knows if you are providing information, seeking information, collaborating, making a decision, etc.
  • Make certain the right people are identified in the ‘to’ categories vs. the ‘cc’ category which, for your information, stands for ‘courtesy copy'
  • Remind yourself; if you are the recipient of an email that came ‘to’ you then a response is welcomed to the sender and the distribution group.
    • If you were given a courtesy copy (cc) it is just that a courtesy copy. If you wish to share an insight or response, the etiquette would be to send directly to the author and not a reply to all. This is the more appropriate etiquette and allows the author of the email to consider your input and share with other recipients as they deem appropriate on your behalf
    • The author is leading the dialogue; let them shape the path of discussion. The etiquette is for them is to thank you and advise you of where things go from there. Not what you wanted to hear we realize, important to know.
  • Think carefully about your recipient lists on email. Try to get into the habit of engaging those that need to be part of the online dialogue. Don’t leverage email to multiple recipients if they really do not need to be involved. We’re busy professionals, you will find an enhanced collegial courtesy when you consider this important etiquette.
  • Distinguish between who ‘needs to know’ versus ‘nice to know’ and govern yourself accordingly and confidently.
  • Distinguish between paragraph format vs. a point bulleted format.
  • Emails written in paragraph format are not read as attentively as those in bullet point form.
  • Write an informative and engaging subject line; do not leave it blank, it just annoys your reader.
  • Bottom-line your message at every opportunity while ensuring that you are using effective, tone, inflection and language in your comments
  • Use electronic tools such as the flag feature; high priority, confidential, etc. If these features do not sound familiar, seek to learn about them, as it will help you.
  • Watch your use of acronyms both internally and externally to ensure everyone on your recipient list is knowledgeable of acronyms. Remind yourself of the simple etiquette and if unsure spell out the term and bracket the acronym and then feel free to use the acronym throughout the body of your message and in moving forward. A bit of an audience analysis sometimes is key to message appreciation.
  • Icons such as happy and sad faces etc are often used in emails however as a professional in the workplace, temper your use of so as not to suggest mixed messaging and/or perhaps opening up an online conversation you had not intended.
  • Remember your opening comments are as critical as your closing comments so keep them clear, tight and specific. You have the potential of capturing a reader’s attention in the same way you might lose their interest or attention span.
  • Check yourself on salutations.
  • Leverage your ‘tools’ option to check for grammar and spelling. No excuses.
  • Be courteous in all your communications – it takes the same time!
  • Be respectful of the length of your email communications. Keep it simple and ask yourself is it wiser to have a live conversation given the nature of your message
  • Pause a moment and check yourself on messages before ‘sending’
  • When we model higher standards of email etiquette we tend to raise the caliber of others when engaging in the workplace

Email Red Flags

  • Do not send an e-mail that you wouldn’t want anyone else to read. Remember; once it leaves your computer, you have no control over its next destination
  • Be respectful of colleagues in the workplace when communicating and sending jokes. Don’t inundate colleagues with needless emails that rob them of precious time, as often they don’t have the courage to ask you to stop. Also remind yourself and others of your commitment to code of ethics regarding workplace technology.
  • Do not insult your reader.
  • Check yourself on use of the Blind Copy (BC) feature. A mistake opens the door for uncomfortable conversations when a message is sent to an unintended recipient. You are wiser to forward comments with a confidential note describing action required and/or rationale in sharing the message.
  • Do not forward messages without a comment, a simple “For your information (FYI)” is in order
  • Do not hide behind electronic communications when a face-to-face conversation
    is more appropriate such as in behavioural and/or performance concerns
  • Do not leverage email as a forum for disciplinary action or a medium in which to discuss poor performance.
  • Balanced and respectful email feedback and recognition is good etiquette and are acceptable forums for engaging individuals. Our suggestion is to be clear as to whether further conversation is required to positively reinforce your message. Be clear as to expectations/intentions when sharing feedback and recognition.

In Summary
Take the time to reflect on some of these finer points of email etiquette. Feel free to share our point of view with colleagues and staff. There is plenty we can do to enhance our online communications, you simply have to choose to do so and make a difference.

For more information Email Etiquette, we invite you to contact [email protected] or [email protected] or call us directly at 416-873-8819.