Essential Email skills for Effective Communication

Introduction

Sending emails, organizing them in your inbox, and responding to messages is a communication skill, especially since email allows us to send and receive messages so easily. How skillful we are as communicators determines how others view us, if our ideas are understood, and determines if a meaningful email dialogue can occur. When our message is composed ineffectively, not only does meaning get lost, but it can frustrate readers trying to construe the point. Similarly, when we poorly manage messages we receive and don’t respond or organize incoming email-- letting it linger in our inbox--telling ourselves we’ll respond to someone “later”-- we are failing as skillful, effective users of email. By following the guidelines below, you get quicker responses to your messages, reduce the number of e-mail messages you send and receive, organize your inbox, and make it more likely that recipients respond to questions raised in your messages.

  1. Target Your audience

    “Success means being heard. . . . the act of writing is not complete in itself. It has its end in its audience.” -- Flannery O’Connor

    It's important that you target your message, sending it to the appropriate people reduces e-mail volume, increases getting a fast response, and ensures your question is directed to someone can answer your question(s) with an authoritative, informed response. Otherwise, the email may get forwarded and end up in a cyberspace abyss. Before you craft your email, consider your options:

    The To line

    If you want to make sure that the right people take the right action, ensure that the right people are on the To line.

    The Cc line

    It's tempting to put everyone on the Cc line. However keep in mind that the Cc line means no action or response should be expected of individuals on this line. These recipients read the email as an FYI. For example, if you were working with technical staff to resolve a computer problem to work in Blackboard, you should Cc the instructor that you’ve contacted the Help Desk and are taking the appropriate action.

    The Bcc line

    In general, it's best not to use the Bcc. Open communication is the best option since there is always a chance that the individual on the Bcc line could hit "Reply All" and unintentionally reveal what was initially intended to be private.

  2. Create an effective Subject line

    “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere.”-- Lee Iacocca

    Do you get so much e-mail every day that you find it hard to read it all? You might spend as little as 10 seconds scanning a message to determine how it applies to you. Unfortunately, spam (unsolicited email trying to sell you something) has made the problem worse since more email finds its way into your inbox. And when you can't quickly identify the relevance of an e-mail message or the action the message requires, there is a tendency to either leave the email unanswered or delete it without understanding the email’s intention. To have your email understood quickly, an often overlooked key first step is constructing a meaningful subject line that wil:

    • State clearly the point of your email, hinting at the body of your message
    • Allow users to organize your email for reference in their inbox if the subject is easily identifiable.
    • Allow you to keep track of correspondence easily if it becomes necessary to locate an email with crucial information by doing a Cc. (In some instances you may want to Cc yourself. We don’t believe this is essential for every email, but certain emails where key thoughts are expressed, or attachments submitted, you may feel it a good pre-caution because email can get blocked by spam filters and the recipient will need you to re-send the email.)

A standard subject heading such as "Action Requested," "Response Requested," or FYI," combined with meaningful topic that the message relates to can be particularly effective.

For example,

  • "FYI: The quiz for week 2 can be taken multiple times.”
  • “Action Requested: Sign-up for the Live Classroom session by Tues, Feb 26th.

Note: If your message requires some type of action, determine whether a deadline applies to the action. Specifying a deadline helps recipients prioritize their tasks more effectively.

  1. Composing Emails For Others

    “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightening and the lightening bug. ”--Mark Twain

    Because email is a form of one-way communication, lacking the interactive face-to-face dialogue of two individuals talking, listening, and creating meaning through conversation, the email message must contain a clear purpose, be mindful of tone, and use appropriate words that provide the necessary information concisely. Keep the following in mind:

    Purpose

    Avoid launching into writing an e-mail message without thinking about the objective of the email. Your e-mail message should state the purpose in the opening sentence or two followed by any supporting information that will help the reader without requiring them to respond for more information. Put yourself in you’re readers shoes. Consider everything they need to know to understand the purpose but make the message as concise as possible. (Note: Pay attention to the sentence structure to avoid run-on sentences. When you are clear and direct, people tend to give their full attention and consideration to the point that you are making.)

    Format

    Easy-to-read, well-written messages help the reader stay focused. To do so,

  • Keep paragraphs short: Short blocks of text are easier for the recipient to read, and help you focus your ideas.
  • Use boldface type or underlining for emphasis: Depending on your email program you may be able to highlight key points and ideas. This helps guarantee your point is quickly understood.
  • Use bullets and tables: Again, depending on your email program, another way to get the appropriate attention from your readers is to use bullets and tables to call attention to particular elements of the e-mail message, such as action items.

Include a signature

When a recipient needs to contact you after receiving your e-mail message, one of the first places they look for your contact information is in the signature at the end of your message. This signature helps to appropriately identify the sender and compose a response

Note: The Blackboard email system does not identify the sender in the FROM field. Blackboard only displays the email address of the sender. It is imperative to write your name at the end of your email message.

In regards to Hebrew College, e-mail message signatures should display name, phone number (especially if you’re emailing the Help Desk for a technical issue), and student ID. This makes following up with you simple and quick.

  1. Composing Response Emails to Others

    The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer. --Henry David Thoreau

    Communication is a two-way street. Respect is needed to address the points of someone else’s email to make the response meaningful and interrogative.

    Here are a few pointers to help you construct meaningful responses:

  • Make sure you grasp the intent of a message before you respond. For example, understand the message of the email and the actions it requires before you respond. Don’t ask for something that has already been sent to you or explained earlier. Hint: People hate repeating themselves on information that has already been conveyed and feel as if their original message was ignored. Make sure you thoroughly read required items, or previous emails to avoid asking for something that was previously answered or addressed.

  • Watch out for the temptation to send a "flame mail." Read (and reread) e-mail responses to remove emotion before you hit "Send." Impatience or irritation will create a negative tone and obscure the purpose of the message. Take a deep breathe, walk away from your computer before responding to something that initially angered you. Focus on reaching a resolution and not replying with emotionally charged language. Communication is the goal. Not spouting off at someone in CAPITAL LETTERS and saying “THAT WAS STUPID.” Be constructive with criticism and points of contention. Identify what you disagree with by providing supporting details. Don’t make personal attacks and blanket statements that are general and not constructive.

  • Stop runaway e-mail threads. Once an e-mail thread that you originated reaches four iterations, take responsibility for ending the thread. If necessary, you can provide a summary of the discussion or solution afterward for closure.

  1. Organizing Your Inbox

    “A place for everything and everything in its place.” -- Reverend C. A. Goodrich

    Does your inbox have 500 messages and is growing exponentially? The key to effective email management is being able to categorize your emails and locate older important emails quickly while keeping track of outstanding issues. Part of the solution involves having a clear subject line as mentioned earlier if you are the composer of the email. This saves you from readin g every email again if searching for one in particular. However, a more practical solution in addition to a clear subject (since you can’t control what others use for a subject line) is to create folders and subfolders to organize your inbox. This could mean creating multiple folders for each course. And within those course folders, creating subfolders such as “homework,” “instructor emails” “student correspondence,” “help desk,” and “administration”. Keep in mind for some message you send, you may want to keep your own record if the message is important enough by adding yourself to the Cc line, then moving the message into one of the appropriate subfolders. We recommend doing this for any type of response to an instructor where you are to be graded or you’re submitting an attachment.


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