Speak Easy Note #20 - Top Ten Reminders for Business Email

There is nothing about email in my book SPEAK EASY, The Communication Guide for Career and Life Success because email is about written communication and SPEAK EASY is only about spoken communication. Someone has suggested that I write a book on written communication and call it WRITE ON. It is certainly something to consider doing since a grand portion of the coaching I do is about written communication. People ask me to provide guidelines for email in the work setting all the time and so I have decided to create the TOP TEN EMAIL RULES AT WORK.


#10. Start your email with the person’s name followed by a comma. “Dear” is not necessary. End all of your emails with a closure. It can be simply your name or just your initial(s) or it can be something like “Regards,” followed by your name. Just make sure you’ve indicated an end to your email.


#9. Keep your emails as courteous, concise and focused as possible. Make sure you include personal concern and brief friendly content in your email communications just as you would if you were speaking directly to a business associate, colleague or client. Respond to email promptly.


#8. Keep your business email professional. Use complete sentences, correct spelling and proper language for business email. Avoid using your business email to receive or distribute dirty jokes or X-rated photos. Once you hit “send” your email is out there and can come back to haunt you at a later time.


#7. People often attribute tone and attitude to email communications that are unintended. Monitor your email carefully and communicate directly with people to avoid the possibility of misinterpretation.


#6. Make sure that you’re not using email to avoid a face-to-face or direct communication with someone. Conflict avoidance often escalates a situation or can bite you on the backside down the road.


#5. Remember that anything you send via email can be forwarded to others without your control. Ask yourself before you send it if you’re comfortable with the potential of your email being forwarded.


#4. Be highly selective when choosing to copy others on a business email. When appropriate, use the blind cc feature to protect people’s privacy and to avoid exposing people’s email addresses when you are sending email to multiple recipients. If you’re sharing the contributions of others or helping others to get recognition, copying key people is a positive action. It’s bad practice to use email to expose someone who has made a mistake, whom you don’t like, or who you think is stupid.


#3. Use email when you need to communicate written dated proof of factual information; otherwise communicate all other necessary negative feedback or views through personal verbal spoken communication.


#2. Never send email in the middle of an emotional reaction. Give yourself at least overnight to calm down before firing off an email response about something or someone that has upset you.


#1. The company you work for owns your email account and all of its contents. Make sure you’re aware of this and that everything you send and receive through your work email account would be appropriate for your boss to read.


Until next time,
The Wordsmith