How to avoid email e-rage - Emphasis

How to avoid email e-rage How to avoid email e-rage It will probably come as no surprise to learn that email regularly offends many UK workers. What may come as more of a shock is the news that it upsets only one in three people, according to a recent survey by email-provider GMX. Our own research shows that approximately 1.2 billion people worldwide now use email, making it officially the most time-consuming activity for information workers. So it’s little wonder that a third of us regularly have to pry open clenched fists to type our replies. But these are also the very reasons why we should all try to do a little better by each other. Under the daily pressures of time, it seems to make sense to dash off a dozen words under a generic subject line. The other person should be on the same page as you, right? But how many times has this supposed time-saver ended up in confused emails batting back and forth like an increasingly aggressive table tennis match? After all, just like you, your recipient will almost certainly be dealing with other problems, clients and projects. Its best to assume they do not have an infallible, photographic memory or infinite time to investigate what you’re getting at. If everyone stuck to these guidelines, the world of email would be much more pleasant and productive for everyone: Use the subject line meaningfully. A title like ‘a question’ or ‘training’ won’t mean much. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to jog their memory and to get a response more quickly. Start off with the main event – the crux of your message – not the winding anecdote that led up to it. In other words, put the ‘what’ before the ‘why’. Then, if they only scan half of it, they should still get the point. Keep it as short as possible. The longer and more densely packed the text, the more it’ll put the reader off. Stick to one subject per email. But do add any little details (dates, times, names etc.) that will help them by saving them a search. Be reader-focused and don’t assume they know everything you do. Read your emails as carefully as your time allows. Weve probably all fired back an impatient demand for more information just before realising the detail we needed was buried in there all along. If the subject matter needs real discussion, are you sure email is the best way to communicate? If in doubt, pick up the phone. You can always send a confirmation email afterwards. And, even in the darkest depths of e-rage, remember: the laws of libel apply to email. So take a few deep breaths (or, better still, sleep on it) before you press ‘send’ on something you can’t take back.