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A bad email is like porn: hard to describe to others, but you know it when you see it.
USING CAPS LOCK IN ANY SITUATION? Give me a break. Crawl out from under the rock you’ve been hiding under and hit yourself in the head with it. Email etiquette exists. In this day and age, you can’t afford not to follow it. That said, it is surprising how many of us have dulled our email-tool with some truly horrifying habits.
Habit #1: Poor Email Grammar
Ok, kids. Let’s do some spring cleaning. Promptly remove all of the following from your email repertoire:
- Exclamation points. You don’t need them. If your sentence needs this punctuation to have punch, the sentence isn’t good enough. Try re-writing it. Try again. And again until it hits with the force you tried to inject with an exclamation point. (Same idea holds true for parentheses–if your thought needs to be to dressed in parentheticals, consider that it may not deserve to go in your email! Whoops. Double whammy).
- Ellipses. Ellipses look like this: “I didn’t get your attachment…please re-send.” (There’s more on attachments later, don’t worry. Dang parentheses.) When I see ellipses, I think: “You, email author, are thinking while you are writing. Your email is stream of consciousness: thought-out, but not well thought-out.” Sure, there are probably some casual emails to friends that are appropriate for this sort of thing. Writing to set up a meeting? Ditch the ellipses. If you really want to show a separation of thought or juxtaposition of options, use this–an em dash.
- Abbreviations you learned in your previous AIM life. LOL breaks two rules: 1) Never use Caps Lock. 2) Say what you mean. You have moved on from the land-of-short-hand-chatting to email country, where conversations are less dynamic and more static. People may sit and absorb your email for a few days. You have to put your full thoughts down. You have to ask for what you want and explain why it should be given. Concisely, yes. But not with abbreviations that are inappropriate, confusing, underwhelming, and unprofessional. Trust me, when you use abbreviations like these, no one is LOL’ing. Ouch.
Habit #2: Sorry! I forgot the attachment.
Not much more to say here. First, you used an exclamation point again. Stop that.
Second, we’ve all been there–on both ends. We craft the perfect email, send it away, sit back, and hold a private party at our desks to celebrate how awesome we are. Two seconds later, you get a response from Jim: “Hi, Andrew. I didn’t get your attachment. Can you try sending again?” Party’s over.
On the other hand, having to play Jim’s role to nudge your colleagues to send out the email again is a bother. Plain and simple: Don’t forget. Revise every email. Re-read it twice. Hold yourself accountable–Gmail helps out with the forgotten attachment detector. Even better: switch to Gmail right now. You’ll look better and feel smarter. That’s a guarantee.
Oh, and all of the above paragraph goes for spelling mistakes too. Make your 3rd grade teacher proud. Hit the spellcheck button already.
Habit #3: Being inappropriate.
A few years back, I worked with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF)–the mid-Atlantic region’s largest NGO dedicated to saving the country’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. I worked on the oyster restoration team, a federally funded project that involved the collaboration of national, state, and local governments; several research organizations; community groups; and alliances of fishermen from Maryland and Virginia. In probably the most dubious email ever written, a leading scientist wrote to a colleague that the whole project of restoring native oysters to the Bay would be easier if they could send the fishermen to China.
Are you shaking your head yet? You should be. Never, ever write email that you are going to regret later. This goes for professional and personal business. If you are heated, writing can be a great outlet. But, please–don’t press send. Wait. Save your draft. Walk away. Come back a few minutes later and look at your email like a mirror–how does it reflect who you are?
The point is that email does not die. It lives on. Forever. The guy who wrote the email about the fishermen was, for all intents and purposes, shunned from the environmental community in the Chesapeake region. He worked for an organization whose email was FIA’able–FIA = Freedom of Information Act. A local reporter sifted through his sent mail, found that gem, and put it on the front page of a regional newspaper. The scientist’s personal and professional lives went from sliced bread to toast–in about 30 seconds.
What have we learned today? Employ proper email grammar. Say what you mean and don’t forget attachments. Express yourself, but not with high risk communications. I know there’s more to email etiquette than this simple list, and that’s where I’d love to hear from you:
What other habits have people identified? What are good codes of conduct when writing email?
P.S. I almost forgot: always sign your emails with you first and last names. That’s an act of putting your money where your mouth is, unmistakably.
Andrew Stuhl
P.P.S. If anyone can find grammar mistakes or any other indicators of hypocrisy in this post, please let me know–it’d be only fair to air my own laundry.
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Comments
02.23.09
great post. I have to say writing in caps is my #1 pet peeve- along with acronyms like FYI and ASAP. can you slyly forward this to my boss?
02.24.09
Can't say I agree with you on the exclamation points. I think in certain circumstances, you need the exclamation point to express friendliness.
Tone is often lost in email. I think there are circumstances in which these etiquette rules should be broken.
02.24.09
I _really hate_ that "short English" that is supposed to be "funny", for exaple "how r u ppl?" Urrgghh!(-:
02.24.09
I don't agree about the exclamation points, because I think I write emails to show my personality. I think to show my personality I have to include exclamation points sometimes - it shows enthusiasm and I see nothing wrong with it.
Also, many people who work can't just "switch to google!" Sure you can have gmail for your personal life, but most people have to use their company's email account...
02.24.09
I am a chronic exclamation pointer!! Thanks for addressing the problem! Another thing you have to be careful with is cc and bcc - know when to use which option and whether you should even use them at all. OH, and can we please do something about the e-mail chains? So annoying!!!!!!!!
02.24.09
Ewww. I have been guilty of numbers 1 and 2 on numerous occasions, many more than I care to count. Especially when it comes to using ellipses. But I love ellipses. Does this etiquette apply personal e-mail too?
I know, I know, I'm reaching.
@ Dejan: I hate short English on e-mails too, but I am more likely to tolerate it on IM messages. However, when someone writes like this anywhere: "HoW r U dOiN' lYkE, iM gUd ToO.."
That's where I draw the line because my brain will shut down after reading that.
02.24.09
As I said on the original post my #1 email pet peeve is people who write novel-length stream-of-consciousness emails that go on for 3 pages. I don't read them. At all.
Also though, it's worth noting that email etiquette is very different around the world. I get emails from people in other countries in my work, and many of them don't follow any of the email rules we think are common in the US -- sometimes this would drive me nuts but I try to keep in mind that they have totally different email rules around the world.
02.24.09
Thanks for the comments everyone--It is really exciting to see the reactions and conversation emerge here.
About exclamation points (@Hayli, @Akhila, @Jamie)--ya'll have hit on some very important points. Tone is a very important part of email--and is something that can be so over- or under-interpreted that it causes serious misunderstanding. This is exactly why I hesitate to use exclamation points, because it is not clear whether or not I am excited or emphatic, out-of-control, or happy. I prefer to save the "exclamation point" behavior for in-person. But if excalamation points show off your style, that is an important consideration.
@Dejan and @Valerie--I agree withe the short english. I would have to say that my post above is most directed toward professional emails, but I'm sure there are areas of overlap for personal business, too.
@Ashley--I'd love to send this to your boss. But you should probably be the one to do it.
@Everyone else--what do you think about these bad email habits?
02.24.09
I agree with Jamie on the exclamation points. As long as they are used very sparingly and very purposefully, I think they can be useful to indicate friendliness or excitement about an idea or prospect.
Other than that, I think you are spot-on. I get some emails at work that make me wonder if the senders even know there is such a thing as business email ettiquette. Good post.
02.24.09
Helpful post. I especially agree with point 3. For a few more tips check out: http://leadingassociates.net/?p=54
02.24.09
@ Nisha--Thanks for sharing your comments. I especially appreciate the perspective on how to situate these thoughts on etiquette--are they national, international, regional, restricted to business sectors, acknowledged by 20 somethings, etc. I'm totally for understanding the assumptions we all carry with us.
@David and James--Thanks for chiming in and providing some more conversational grist.
02.24.09
Even better: switch to Gmail right now. You’ll look better and feel smarter. That’s a guarantee.
Hilarious stuff.
02.24.09
@frugal CPA: Thanks for humoring me. Not only am I a huge fan of Gmail, but I also must give props to one of the most influential films in my life: Tommy Boy.
Did you get the "guarantee" reference to that film?
There are actually multiple pop-culture/movie gestures in that post. Did anyone else pick up on those?
02.24.09
FrugalCPA,
GMail is down right now.
02.24.09
Andrew,
I like the post. I have to add response time to this. I can't stand when I get a reply to a simple email days later. I understand some people receive more email than others, but that makes you look inefficient and unprofessional sometimes.
02.24.09
Don't forget weird clip art, signature quotes and colored backgrounds!
02.24.09
At this very moment I'm explaining the use of caps lock and email/chatting/blogging to my mother. She seems to randomly capitalize words that do not require any emphasis, and it drives me crazy.
With regard to work emails: I can't believe how many emails I get people have just stopped using capitalization and punctuation altogether. It's still professional correspondence, people.
I have also noticed a proliferation of sentence fragments in business emails. It's almost as if people no longer feel the need to express a complete thought.
I agree with The Office Newb on the crazy stuff that shows up on some peoples' email. Backgrounds? Animation? No thank you.
Hopefully it goes without saying that passing on those stupid forwards is also highly unprofessional. I emailed a co-worker requesting her not to send them to me anymore, and she got offended. But seriously? I don't need angels in my inbox.
02.24.09
@ Anthony--good point about response times. I often play both sides of that debate: when I send emails, I expect timely responses. But when I get email-overload, I tend to go on the defensive and justify to myself that it is ok to take my time and respond when convenient.
It's like that age-old driver-pedestrian debate--As a driver,I'm annoyed when pedestrians think they own the street. But when I'm walking, that's my street, dangit.
@ The Office Newb. Ha! Fortunately I have not had those sent to me.
@Nicole--I have often wondered about the generational differences in email communications, and communication in general. I remember getting this email from a fellow teacher last year in response to soliciting buy-in from staff in regards to volunteering at an evening community function. The teacher "replied all"--first mistake--with "DAVE DEERING IS INTERESTED".
His email forced me to consider if he was actually a robot. Turns out he just didn't understand what the implications for that kind of email were.
02.24.09
Habit #4:
Including the company logo in a signature.
A company logo, really? I know what the logo of the company that I work for looks like. The email is no more informative, entertaining, or helpful by having the company logo. I dont like having my inbox full because a sender wanted to express themself through a picture file they stole off of the company website.
02.24.09
@Andrew: I hadn't picked up on the Tommy Boy reference (it's been 13 years since I saw it last), but I just spent five minutes catching up on that and other great scenes.
Tommy: . . . But for right now, for your sake, for your daughter's sake, ya' might wanna' think about buying a quality item from me.
Guy: Hmmm. Okay, I'll buy from you.
Tommy: Well I . . . what?
I still find myself saying schnikees every once in awhile, completely out of the blue.
@jrandom42: Gmail's timing was perfect. I tried to log in once and had to go to class. I came back to find news articles explaining Gmail's outage. Isn't that one of the fundamental laws? Right when you stand up in support for something, that's when the something fails in a big, visible way.
Then again, I can forgive two hours, especially when it hardly affected me.
02.24.09
This is a great post. I definitely know a few people who could benefit from these tips. It's nice to know I am not the only one who feels this way about email.
02.24.09
@ Yetti: It is interesting what "tag-along" information accompanies emails these days. Especially if some message is to be distributed widely and will be read widely, attaching logos may be an interesting way to get your brand out there. But for internal communications, it seems very pointless, as you say.
@Latosha: Thanks for the kind words--means a lot.
02.24.09
I agree with the comments regarding exclamation points - I think, given the right audience, that they can add some life to what you are trying to say. Know your audience. That should be something you consider before hitting send. Also, one of my huge pet peeves in blogging as well as emails is unexplained abbreviations. If you are referencing a department or methodology or whatever it is - unless you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the abbreviation you use will be understood by 100% of your audience, then spell it out (SIO).
I was reading a blog about time management the other day and the author kept referencing "GTD methods" - I had to stop reading and Google it to find out that this means "Getting Things Done". As bloggers, do you ever want your audience navigating away from your site before they've finished reading your article? (In case you're wondering, the answer is 'no')
The same thing applies to emails. You don't want to make your boss ask 'the stupid questions' about some business jargon that is below his or her pay grade. So SIO if in doubt and then use the abbreviation. My two cents.
Thanks, Andrew, for the interesting post topic. This is one of those habits that pays off to continually improve.
02.24.09
I'm totally with you on the grammar front. I'm one of those people who meticulously checks every e-mail for grammatical errors, no matter the recipient. But, I do disagree about exclamation points. I agree with Jamie that tone is often lost in e-mails, and punctuation is one way to deal with this issue. As far as abbreviations, it kind of depends on the recipient. Say you work in a casual office and your boss sends you e-mails with abbreviations, do you still have to avoid them? I'm not so sure. Overall, great points, and the most important thing to do is proofread!
02.24.09
@ Noble and Samantha, and many others--
So, exclamation points, eh? Turns out there was a big reaction against ditching them altogether. I'm still holding my ground on this one, but that's just me.
You all have certainly helped me understand how contingent email habits can be--we often adjust our styles to fit the culture of the office we are in, the conversation we are having, the recipient of our email, the time we have to craft our message, etc. This is helpful to understand while trying to keep in mind any transcendent "golden rules."
02.24.09
You've named several of my pet peeves, but there's one that I've not seen brought up before: ellipsis points.
I have gotten e-mails that were nothing more than collections of sentence fragments strung together with ellipses. That looks terrible.
They also look bad when used that way in PowerPoint presentations.
Ellipsis points have designated uses, and they work well when applied in those ways. They are, however, no substitute for a coherent sentence.
02.25.09
How about these:
1) Signature composition- It's kind of nice having a phone number in there for easy reference. At least put your name in there. But whatever you do, don't put fancy pictures or your favorite quotations in there.
2) Flagging - Seriously, when you flag all of your messages as "high priority" it takes any semblance of meaning out of that statement.
3) Huge attachments - If you absolutely, positively have to send out a 12MB file, make sure you only send it to those who need it. Nothing like having my mail slow to a crawl thanks your monstrosity of an Excel file.
02.25.09
@Andrew, you wouldn’t believe how many emails I get, from grown ups, mainly from Asia, that look something like "snd pls ppl" - looks like Arabic or Hebrew in Latin! (-:
02.27.09
I write you e-mails weekly with all these things you hate. We should: a) start talking on the phone or b) you should get over it.
kidding...
great read!
(I tried to throw in some things that would get to you.) ;-)
02.27.09
@ KateNonymous--thanks for the input. Powerpoint--yikes, that's a whole "nother" subject. (Did you ever notice how "whole nother" is a conventional saying, but is really grammatically incorrect?)
@Phalange-- Great points, especially the one about flagging.
@Nikki-- Yes we can talk on the phone and Yes I will get over it. You have my number, so call me already!
02.27.09
About Reply All: some people clearly hit this all the time instead of plain old Reply. Pay attention, and ALWAYS check who the message was sent to before you decide to reply to everyone on the list!
Also, a personal pet peeve: including your email address in your signature file is totally unnecessary. You just sent me an email, so I now have your address! Duh.
And I didn't notice, but did anyone bring up emoticons in professional emails? :)
02.27.09
@Andrew Stuhl: Yes, but if you type it "whole 'nother," I'm totally fine with it!
03.01.09
I've become a fanatical user of ellipses. I like them a lot. I'm less prone to use them in professional emails though. Same with exclamation points.
I used to hate exclamation points. Somewhere along the way, things changed. :-/
03.01.09
Here are two of the most valuable email best practices to utilize when working with senior executives and co-workers.
1. Less is so much more. Everyone is busy. And you should be too busy to write a 250 word email. Also, when you limit needless pontification and exclamation, you decrease the likelihood of saying something stupid--that's documented.
2. Use the phone. If there's a hot topic being debated and you're put on the spot to respond, if someone calls you out or appears upset and argumentative, no matter how hard you try to save face and counter-argue every point, email usually exacerbates the problem--and it's documented. No one will win. Pick up the phone.
03.01.09
I try to read the email as the receiver would. Sometimes tone and context sound differently when you are receiving the email.
I will say that I am guilty of omitting words. I try to check for that too and I'll even miss it the second time around. So I'm working on that one too. The only time I use an exclamation mark is after a "thanks." That way I don't run the risk of being misunderstood.
03.02.09
@ Leandra, Matt, and Rafael-
Thank you for the comments. I appreciate the insights about phone usage, shorter emails, and putting yourself in the perspective of the reader. Also, as Leandra notes, it is good to recognize that we all change our email behaviors--as the professional conduct surrounding email changes, too.
These are all great points and I hope others reading this post survey the comments--they are as useful as the original post!
Andrew
03.03.09
Consistency of formatting counts for a lot as well if you expect the reader to get from the start to the finish of your email. Also, if bolded items are scattered across the page and/or seem to be bolded for various reasons, then the reader cannot get a clear understanding of why a bolded item requires attention. Thus, always bold for the same fundamental reason throughout an email or document. Otherwise, don’t bold at all.
Paragraph breaks and indentations are terrific as well as they indicates that a thought has been completed or underscores necessary emphasis.
My rule when writing anything is to never assume that anyone owes me their attention; that it’s my task to capture it. This must be done without looking desperate or discrediting myself in the process.
06.18.10
Double check the name of the recipient, especially the first name. You don't want an important email to end up where it shouldn't. It happened to me a couple of times, which is far too often already.
11.23.10
1. Less is so much more. Everyone is busy. And you should be too busy to write a 250 word email. Also, when you limit needless pontification and exclamation, you decrease the likelihood of saying something stupid--that's documented.Kim
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