Death @ Email

/ dilpreetavasudeva

Dilbert-130319

Emailing has varied styles and I have found mine. There are different personality types, the whole MBT analysis can sensitise you and help appreciate your colleagues’ communication style. Some folks are comforted with greetings, exchange of pleasantries, long notes and others aren’t. I belong to the latter.

Here is what email etiquette means to me:

  1. To, CC and BCC are real categories. Use them. To is for the people the action lies on-they are addressed directly and you expect them to reply, CC is those who need to be informed, BCC I usually use to move someone out of a conversation thread. Yes, it is a polite exit and one that people usually thank you for. Oh, you did know this! Now let us use it.
  2. Make your email count. Its not always the content but whom you get the mail from that often determines its importance. So if someone often hits reply all, marks me on emails with no action, I stop being attentive. So yes you just lost spotlight in my inbox. Who knows I have a special folder for you too.
  3. Its important to you, but is it important to me? Give context, build relevance. WIFM is key, and a successful communication style, IMHO.
  4. You said a lot of things but I don’t know why! What’s the desired action? Did you write because you need to be understood or because you are particularly fond of literature? Ah! it is the cryptic documentation. One for the archives.
  5. Which brings me to bullets. Hell am a big fan of, to-the-point emails. They save time and get things done. No fancy language or storytelling. If I want to feel warm and fuzzy, its definitely not on Outlook.  Rapport building is best done in -person. Try getting a cup of coffee or easier still, smile at your colleagues in-person.
  6. Its terribly important, and you choose to send an email! Hmmm. I agree it is crisis, that can wait, till I get to it. Immediate attention on emails is an oxymoron. No, I don’t constantly check emails because there is real job I do. Give reaction time and kindness will be returned, like all good things.
  7. Re: Lets talk anytime tomorrow and close. (Please read: this can be sorted over 1 phone conversation, does not need a group huddle, conferencing,  appointment)
    1. Re: Re: What time shall I call you?
    2. Re:Re: Re: 1130 am. If it works please send calendar request. Else, please pick a time from 3-5pm. (Fine lets be formal)
    3. Re: Re:Re:Re: Thanks. Will call at 1130. Sending calendar request
    4. Silence
    5. Re: Re:Re:Re:Re: Sent request. Please accept
    6. Silence
    7. Re: Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Thank you for accepting
    8. 9. 10. 11.12 …..We will coordinate till cows come home, better still we will hit Reply All.
  8. Read Receipt: Sales people who use read receipts are a huge put-off!! Insecurity isn’t flattering. Its the equivalent of an offline sociopath, a stalker. Please use the feature sparingly. Policy matters, legal you know that kind of important stuff, a category your email does not make it to.
  9. Man is a social animal, we love to seek email companions by marking our managers and managers of those whom we write to. My reading of this is that either you don’t feel empowered or you don’t feel confident enough to manage the conversation. The first is a managers fall, the latter yours, and it’s a vicious cycle. Trust your manager to know all the effort you put in without looping them in. Try pulling your weight-find your place, else seek help on how to.
  10. Treasure hunt. That + sign, on a long mail trail. There needs to be a capping on how many emails can be in a thread before someone is added with + and no context. Goes without saying that no one bothers to share the attachment that’s at the heart of it all.
  11. Hello, I am calling you. Pick up your phone/ You missed the call/ Your phone was busy. ROTFL need I say more.
  12. Emails do have a cost-to company both monetarily and as employees time & productivity. Lesser the better.
  13. Oh and I just have to mention this last one. It is not revert but respond. Revert is to go back to original state. So unless you mean that you read my email and it rolled off your back into nothingness, please respond not revert.

Hit me up with your email style in the comment box. We may find some common pet peeves.

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