1. Respect Recipients' Time
This is the golden rule. As the message sender, the onus is on YOU to minimize the time your email will take to process. Even if it means you take more time at your end before sending. Exercise restraint. Be concise and to the point. Email should be used to disseminate information, ask a quick question, or document a verbal conversation. If you are seeking a response, be clear and direct about what you are asking for. E-mailers should strive to bring closure to work/questions, not create more work. You don't need to reply to every email, especially not those that are themselves clear responses. Replying with only the word "Thanks" can be useful when you need to express gratitude or acknolwedge receipt of a message, but consider that your Thanks message will consume time to process.
2. Ensure Email is the Best Way to Communicate Your Message
Does your topic warrant an email or would it be quicker and more efficient to pick up the phone? Phone or face-to-face communication is much better for sensitive, emotional, or complex conversations. Tone is important and is easy to misinterpret in email. Intemperate, sarcastic, or hasty remarks sent in an email can result in unfortunate misinterpretation, and it's possible for them to be broadcast far beyond the audience the sender intended. Consider email as an “electronic postcard” that can easily be forwarded and read by unintended recipients. Assume anything you put in writing has the possibility of becoming publicly accessible.
3. Slow or Short Responses are OK, but Lack of Response Is Not
Given the email load we're all facing, it's okay if replies are not immediate; however, not responding to someone's email questions is a problem. If you're swamped, figure out a system for triaging your email so that you don't leave someone hanging, or cause something to slip through the cracks. (Ask IT/IG for ideas on this if you need help.) It helps to assume positive tone and intent, even when the message or response appears short.
4. Strive for Clarity
Start with a subject line that clearly labels the topic, so that recipients easily know the intent of the message. Subject lines should be specific, for example, “Pizza available in the Atrium at 3:15” rather than just “Pizza.” Within your email message use crisp, muddle-free sentences. If the email has to be longer than five sentences, make sure the first sentence provides the basic reason for writing.
5. Slash Surplus cc's
cc's are like mating bunnies. For every recipient you add, you are dramatically multiplying total response time. Not to be done lightly! When there are multiple recipients, please don't default to 'Reply All'. Maybe you only need to cc a couple of people on the original thread. Or none. Instead of hitting REPLY-ALL, just compose or reply to the people who really need to know — often the person who generated the original email. Only include those who may contribute to the topic, or who really need to know the information.
6. Tighten the Thread
Some emails depend for their meaning on context and the previous emails within the thread. It's rare that a thread should extend to more than 3 emails. At that point it should probably be a telephone conversation. Be careful adding someone to a conversation mid-stream. If you must, then provide a synopsis of the conversation to date, rather than expecting a new recipient to read back through the previous emails within the thread.
7. Carefulness Counts
Take time to double-check the recipient(s) email address, proof-read, and make sure your message makes sense. If you’re in a hurry and send your email to the wrong person or group it can be humiliating. Remember that you represent a school with high standards for respect and civility, even in casual email correspondence.
8. Give these Gifts: EOM NNTR
If your email message can be expressed in half a dozen words, just put it in the subject line, followed by EOM (= End of Message). This saves the recipient having to actually open the message. Ending a note with "No need to respond" or NNTR, is a wonderful act of generosity. Many acronyms confuse as much as help, but these two are golden and deserve wide adoption.
9. Respect The Sender's Recipient Choices
Email that was specifically addressed to an individual recipient or recipients should not be copied or forwarded to others without permission. It is fine to forward an external notification of an event that a group may appreciate knowing about. It is a breach of etiquette and trust to post information clearly intended for “private” conversation to be forwarded to others, or to be made public. Anyone with the desire to share information to others should speak to the sender first.
10. About Attachments
Sending text as an attachment when it could have been included in the body of the email wastes recipients' time.