Jeff McLanahan
Contributing Writer
American Residential Services
Of all the ways we communicate today, email remains one of the most used methods. It is generally seen as both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is in how useful it is to communicate any amount of information very quickly to almost any size audience. This is also the curse, as those of us that have returned from a few days of paid time off understand very well.
We can improve the image of email as a curse and to use it more effectively, but we all must work together. Here are some ideas to maximize the effectiveness of email that everyone needs to incorporate.
1. Block off specific times for email. We need to check our email regularly, but we do not have to check it constantly. Depending on your role, checking email every other hour or even a few times each day may be sufficient. Stop checking email every time you get an alert.
2. Utilize the subject line. Does it let the recipient know what is in the email? If it doesn’t, it may be one of the many emails that get “set aside to read later” or even deleted. Be careful not to get too cute however or it may be mistaken for a phishing email.
3. CC only those necessary. Do not clutter other people’s inboxes with unnecessary emails. This includes using “Reply All” when you can simply reply directly to the sender.
4. Be concise. Aim for one topic per email whenever possible. If the recipient needs to scroll down several times to read the email, it most likely will not happen.
5. When you cannot be concise, send attachments. Again, if the recipient needs to scroll down several times, it may not happen. Include an attachment and summarize the content and any action needed in the body of the email.
6. Don’t YELL. Most people view words typed in capital letters as yelling. If you want to emphasize something, use bold or italics and do so sparingly.
7. Use the out-of-office feature. When you are on paid time off, on the road, engaged in an all-day meeting, etc., use auto notifications to make people aware and when possible, refer them to someone else if an immediate response is needed. Without this notification, numerous repeat emails may be received.
8. In an emergency, pick up the phone. If it is urgent, try something besides email. Make a phone call, send a text message, or use a chat channel. Sending an email is generally not best utilized in the case of an emergency.
Be sure to share these ideas with co-workers, friends, and family members. As previously stated, we can make email more effective, but it will take effort and it will take all of us.