Main Menu

Next "Page"

What Did You Think? Email Me

Aka "Our Inspo"

Your Colleagues Don’t Read Anything You Write

The skinny: One of the best articles we’ve read on writing better emails.

Highlights:

• Write less
  • “We long for clarity, for other people to say what they mean in as few, short words as possible. Lead with the need. After that, you’ll often find much of the rest can be removed.”
• Listen in your writing
  • “Instead of a rolling explanation, at most, use one or two sentences to describe the situation; then ask a single (clear + concise) question and let the team chime in.”
• Action oriented subject lines
  • “Tell your recipients before word one what’s expected. If they need to read and comment on it prior to a Tuesday afternoon meeting, tell them.”
• It’s not about you
  • “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Get out of your head and into theirs. Ask yourself, what would interest them? It all sounds great in theory. But in the rush of work, the power to do so evaporates.”
  • “When we ask for “advice,” people see themselves as partners. And advice versus feedback significantly increases both the amount and quality of responses.”
  • “Watch your pronouns — in more ways than one. You is selfish. So is them. But, we works together.”

How Leaders Achieve Inbox Zero

The skinny: Great data on how people email and how to manage your inbox.

Highlights:

• A science to managing email:
  • “Be mindful of how much you check your phone. We recommend triaging your inbox twice a day — once in the morning and again in the evening. During triage set a reminder, or star the email, if the message needs more time.”
• Do the hard stuff at 10 AM
  • “Intentionally book time on your calendar at 10 am to tackle harder messages. If you snooze your emails, have them come back at 10 am so you are ready to work on them.”
• Write for mobile
  • “We send three times as many emails from our laptops than our phones. However, we open our email app eight times more on our phones than on our laptops. Nobody wants to read a wall of text with links and asks on their phone.”

UNC’s Guide to Effective Email Communication

The skinny: A tad dated, but if you work in a formal setting this is a stellar guide to writing better emails.

Highlights:

• When not to email
  • “Your email is confidential. Email is never private.”
  • “Your message is long and complicated”
  • “Your message is emotionally charged”