Email Etiquette

Effective Email

Guidelines

Contents

Email Has Become Ineffective

Poor Usage Examples

Use Smart Subject Lines

Think Before You Click

Write for Action

Reducing the Load

Quality Communications

Recommended Standards

General Tips

Call to Action

Email Has Become Ineffective

Its a double-edged problem

Too many messages are floating around

Half are unnecessary

The other half are ineffective

Fixing the problem lies on our shoulders

Poor Usage Examples

No subject line

Poor Usage

Action required and key points are

hidden in the message

Poor Usage

----- Original Message-----From : Sent : Monday, January 08, 2001 5:46 PMTo: IMS OperationsSubject : Information

I will be gone all day Tuesday/01-9-01 at an Operations Offsite Staff

Meeting.

I will be accessible via cell or pager listed below-

Thanks

Misusing the global distribution list

Poor Usage

Discussion that could have been done

on the phone


All messages should have clear and

specific Subject Lines that

describes the message content

specifies if there are any actions required

& due dates

mentions clearly who the message is for

Subject Line Template:TAG description [actions] [due date] [(EOM)]


Good Subject Line Examples FYI ONLY: Meeting minutes from 3/14 discussion

WSR: Joe Smith Operations WW17

ARs Included: Minutes from MRC, all ARs due Friday 4/1

DISTRIBUTE: Program POR updated & related information

Bob, Joe: need you at noon meeting Wed w/ your updates

AGENDA: Staff meeting Thurs 3/12 10:00 pm

Mary: I will attend the WW FTF & present summary. (EOM)

Poor Subject Line Examples Weekly Minutes

Here are the URLs

Re: presentation

(blank subject line)

Unrelated subject line sending an email with an old subject line that does not relate to this message

TAG description [action] [due dates] [(EOM)]


If you can type your entire

message in the subject line and

dont need to write anything in

the body of the message - do

so!

Type (EOM) at the end of the

subject line. EOM means end

of message

Think Before You Click

Dont automatically REPLY TO

ALL.

Take one last look at your distribution

list is this email necessary for all

recipients.

Once the email discussion goes

beyond 2-3 replies anyway, its time

to pick up the phone

Write For Action

In the first 1-3 lines of your email,

specify what this email is about.

Does it include action required?

Does it require a reply back by a certain

date?

What information is contained that the

reader will find necessary for their job?

Use the To: and Cc: addresses

appropriately

Reducing the Load

Overloaded system & recipient

Use text messages every time you can Status Reports, Meeting Minutes, Trip

Reports, Simple Proposals

Use formatted documents when necessary Spreadsheets, presentations, formal

documents

Stop replies before they start If a reply is not required, end your message with (Reply Not Necessary)


Email is not the right communication

tool when quick response is needed

Use email to convey non-sensitive or

non-emotional information


If an email discussion doesnt

end in 1-2 replies and get the

results that are necessary

STOP

Ask yourself, are you sharing

expertise, or just venting

Constructive confrontation or

disagreements do NOT get

resolved in email


Recommended Subject Line Tags: URG - Stop everything, read me

first

HOT - Need immediate attention

RSP - Need you to respond, either way

MTG - New/modified meetings

FWD - Forward to your respective group(s)

HLP - Need information, assistance with a problem

FYI - Just for your information

ACT - Needs action


Rules:

No outlook templates or pretty stationary"

when sending/replying messages

Reply to sender only. Only "Reply to All"

when absolutely necessary

PowerPoint Files: Zip all attachments. Large

files; use shared server or websites

When possible, short messages should be

written in the subject line, with the EOM tag


Rules:

No discussions in email. When people start

"talking" in email, please stop

Carbon Copy your manager if you really

need to

Do not use UPPER case alphabets unless

using it as a title. This gives a negative

connotation (looks like you are yelling those

words)

General Tips

Use Follow Up Flags.

If you find you are on a distribution list you

dont need to be on

send a note to the originator to be removed.

If you get involved in an email discussion

that you dont need to be in

ask to be taken off the distribution.

While forwarding the message delete the

list of email addresses if not necessary

If you see someone else practicing bad

email etiquette

send a friendly note and ask them to correct it

Incoming Email Tips:

Process your email in batches

Dont overreact to nuance in email

General Tips

General Tips

Font: Use standard font throughout the message

content

Avoid colored fonts in a professional email

Be very specific with the use of bold, italicor underline font style

Keep the size of the font visible and constant

Paragraph and line spacing should be legitimate and visually appealing

Avoid short forms or slang (e.g. u instead of you, y instead of why, r instead of are, etc)

Examples

From: XYZSent: Monday, January 08, 2001 5:46 PMTo: ABCSubject: Information

Dear Sir,

With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like tomention here that the required action was taken long back andhence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level.With reference to the below mentioned mail, the issue to ahigher level.

With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like tomention here that the required action was taken long back andhence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher levelWith reference to the below mentioned mail.

Regards,XYZ

Examples


Dear Sir,

With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level. With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level

With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence therewas no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail.

Regards,XYZ

Examples


Dear Sir,

With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level. With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and

HENCE THERE WAS NO NEED TO ESCALATE THE ISSUE TO A HIGHER LEVEL WITH REFERENCE TO THE BELOW MENTIONED mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level

action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail.

Regards,XYZ

Examples


Dear Sir,

With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action wastaken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level. With referenceto the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken longback and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the belowmentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hencethere was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail,I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was noneed to escalate the issue to a higher level

With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action wastaken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference tothe below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long backand hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the belowmentioned mail.

Regards,XYZ

Call to Action

Implement these guidelines in

your own email usage

Its got to start with you

Documents

Email Etiquette