Using Email Effectively, Part II- The Do’s and Dont’s

Our success professionally is directly linked to how well we communicate.   We have the ability to reach our entire organizations with just a few key strokes, and yet we receive little direction in how best to use it.  Below I have provided some tips to help build rapport- and avoid trouble- with your email recipients. 

THE DONT’S-

• Don’t email bad news.  In my office we call this “hiding behind email.”  Pick up the phone or visit the person instead. 
• Don’t email to blame.  Sure, it may be tempting to point out the errors that other people make, but take a deep breath and write about solutions to the problem instead.
• Don’t email angry.  My boss told me a long time ago, “If it feels good to write it, DON’T send it.”  I’ve followed that advice many times and I’ve never regretted it.  Sure, type out the thoughts to get them out of your system, but don’t hit your send key- hit your delete key instead. 
• Don’t complain.  With so many of our professional relationships tied to email, it may be hard to determine who is friend and who is foe.  Don’t assume that the person you are writing to will keep your complaint confidential.  The forward key is just one click away.
• Don’t try to impress others.   This is trickier than it sounds!  Sure, we’ve all seen emails that were blatantly boastful, but that isn’t what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about the ones where you are deliberately adding information that isn’t relevant in the hopes of impressing your email audience.  Filter these out of your writing by asking yourself what the main objective of your email is, and then sticking with it.  The best way of impressing fellow employees with email is by writing them well.

THE DO’S-

• Do praise co-workers.  If a fellow employee consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty, why not send them an email telling them how much you appreciate their efforts?  Better yet, send it to their manager and copy them on it. 
• Do send project status updates.  Projects can be complex and take a long time to complete; send out periodic updates to communicate the progress that has been made.
• Do communicate changes to company procedure.  Email is a great tool for communicating changes quickly to the entire organization.  However, complicated changes should be communicated over a teleconference first and then emailed as reinforcement.
• Do keep your emails professional.  Before I hit the send button I ask myself, “If this email was accidentally cc’ed to the entire organization, would I be embarrassed?”  If the answer is yes, I re-write it.

Most of this advice is common sense, but it isn’t easy to follow.  I really struggle with a couple of these points myself.  But if we follow it to the best of our ability, we will become more skillful in our use of this important business tool.