In another helpful DiversityInc.com piece, email is the subject. I love the title: R Yr Biznes E-mails Hrting Yr Career?
If offers some terrific tips on email at work — including:
- Keep it short
- Adhere to your corporate culture
- Avoid religious references
- Always proofread
Can’t argue with any of those! But let’s add two more:
- Do not REPLY TO ALL when your answer has no relevance to anyone on the distribution list.
- Avoid shortening words and using confusing letters for phrases — like BTW, AAF, LMK. Not everyone understands them.
Do you have more email etiquette tips?
February 20th, 2008 at 11:37 am
One of my pet peeves is when I email someone they “reply” by calling me. Unless it is really hard to explain your reply in written form just hit reply! If you must call at least say “I figured I would call since this is a little confusing/complex/shouldn’t be sent via email due to its sensitivity/etc”.
I think sometimes it is a generation thing. My very eary Boomer boss is all about calling, leaving voicemails and printing documents instead of emailing them. It makes me bonkers as a late Gen Xer / early Gen Yer.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:01 am
My 50+ employer uses text abbreviations all of the time in her emails. I find it both frustrating,because I have to look up a definition and disturbing, because I don’t have the time to study a new language - why does she???? In business communication I think I have learned the most from a woman who is 10 years younger than me. She works freelance and writes every email like she is sending it to a potential employer. Her professionalism has inspired me to take the extra few seconds to write clearly and appropriately.