Two weeks ago, our colleague Babette Pain reported on a story in the French daily Le
Monde about ways to better manage the increasing flow of e-mail. Today, Wired magazine's blog offers a look at
the problem from the other end of the telescope, offering advice on how to write
better e-mail messages.
This entry, part of Wired's "How-To Wiki", makes a distinction
between letters and e-mails. Those of us who were taught as kids how to write
letters need to put some of those practices aside. "[A]n email is not a
letter," Wired notes, "and you’re not typing at a Selectric II typewriter. You
may look at the days of formal graces in written communication with some
sadness, but rest assured that they are as dead as Dillinger."
Wired breaks down its advice about writing e-mails
into four categories: (1) brevity, (2) context, (3) something to act on, and (4)
a deadline. Here are some examples ...
Brevity. "If you’re passing a thread along, trim what isn’t needed. Why make the email look longer than it really is?"
Context. "When you’re asking a question, anticipate any missing details that could cause an extended back-and-forth. Each time someone sends you a reply, you’ve gone to the back of that person’s line. Do what you can to make your emails count the first time."
Something to act on. "Make your requests clear. You should set them apart from the rest of the message by paring them down to one sentence, with white space before and after. Make lists with dashes, asterisks, or bullets if you use HTML email."
A deadline. "There comes a time when the response you seek is no longer useful. If you know when that is, tell your recipient. This can be a good way both to prompt a speedy turnaround, and to let people off the hook in the long term."
Other e-mailing tips, from our collective experience:
- Double-check the addressee. Do you intend for a reply to go to one individual, just some of the recipients, or an entire list-serve?
- Consider how your words will be interpreted by the recipient. Unlike conversations, with e-mail messages you have no vocal inflections or non-verbal cues. Your words carry the entire meaning of the message.
- Don't send an e-mail written in anger. Give
yourself time to cool off, gather your thoughts, and consider the implications
of an angry e-mail.
My favorite piece of advice from Wired: "And for
god’s sake, have a subject line. One that makes sense."
