Articles – Adams Jette

Email etiquette

It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s reliable (most of the time) and it seems to take up a good part of our day. We are, of course, talking about email.

Because it takes up so much time, we thought we’d pass along this checklist to help you increase your efficiency and make sure your messages are as effective as possible.

Is email the right tool for the job? Would a quick call or a meeting be better?
Is the subject line clear, succinct and descriptive?
Does the subject line include important information such as meetings times and dates so others can better manager their email messages?
Are the attachments necessary? If so, have I taken the time to point out the important pages to read?
If this is an emotionally charged message, have I taken the time to reflect before responding?
Have I stayed on topic and kept it to one topic per email?
Is there unnecessary repetition?
Has proper grammar and punctuation been used?
Have I checked the spelling?
Is there a telephone number to make it easier for the reader?
Is the message easy to read?

Tips

Write all the important information such as the date and time of meeting or actions required in the first paragraph.

Keep both the paragraphs and the sentences short.

Use bullets to break up large chunks of text.

Use blank lines between paragraph.

Have I used please and thank you?
Has the message been given a final check before being sent?

Tips

Ask yourself: Does this make sense? Will the reader understand this? Have I left out any relevant details?

Finally, remember that if you send email only when required, your messages will get noticed as people will know that you write only when you have something important to say.

[This article was originally written by Adams Jette for the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy newsletter Bulletin. Reprinted with permission.]