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Email can make communication easier, but it can also drain your time.
Learn how to process incoming email and write outgoing email to get to save time.
Email clearly has its downsides.
Unclear emails distract employees from important work-related tasks, cloud communication channels, and often create extra work.
Avoid the pitfalls of email by following the suggestions below.
That is, if you intend to respond in the first place.
Because it’s easy to let the above ambiguous email scenarios drain your time.
Sometimes the action doesn’t seem like an action.
They understand that the communication can easily end with your email; that they don’t need to respond.
And it’s crucial that you ensure that your recipient is clear on what action is expected of them.
Focus on the following when making email actionable:
Be proactive and assertive when outlining actionable steps.
Avoid asking open-ended questions unless there’s no other option.
Because open-ended questions are the opposite of actionable content.
Most importantly, you gotta verify that whatever action you expect from your reader is clearly communicated.
Don’t assume they know what job task your set of instructions applies to.
State it out explicitly and kindly let them know what you want them to do.
Paragraphs:A general rule to follow is keeping paragraphs under five sentences.
This then leads to sloppy or redundant responses, which clouds the communication channel.
Sentences:Use the active voice when writing sentences.
Keep sentences short and to the point.
Avoid going off on tangents or unnecessarily explaining your reasoning or feelings about things.
Instead, stick to the facts and what action you request that your recipient take.
Words:Try not to use big words or slang, unless you know your audience will understand them.
Avoid extra words and qualifying phrases.
Instead, just state your recommendation without having to qualify it.
It will also increase your confidence, because you won’t subconsciously seek permission to communicate proactively.
Punctuation:Keep punctuation simple.
Minimize commas use – this naturally helps you keep sentences short.
Avoid lazy text-inspired speak, with overuse of dot-dot-dot’s and consecutive commas.
Bullet-points and section breaks enhance web readability, as well as help you organize your message more clearly.
This will help you catch mistakes or notice awkward parts that you wouldn’t normally say in-person.
Strip away those extra words and simplify punctuation.
Bullet out lists and cut down on your paragraphs.
If someone doesn’t respond to a direct request, don’t waste time wondering what happened.
Instead, send a polite but direct follow-up email to check in with them.
Apply the principles listed above.
And this goes for both sending and receiving messages.
Email is best used to deliver actionable messages that are adequately communicated via writing.
