Effective Email Guidelines

1. Effective Email Guidelines

2. Contents • Email Has Become Ineffective • Poor Usage Examples • Use Smart Subject Lines • Think Before You Click • Write for Action • Reducing the Load • Quality Communications • Recommended Standards • General Tips • Call to Action

3. Email Has Become Ineffective • It’s a double-edged problem • Too many messages are floating around • Half are unnecessary • The other half are ineffective • Fixing the problem lies on our shoulders

4. Poor Usage Examples No subject line

5. Poor Usage Action required and key points are hidden in the message

6. Poor Usage -----Original Message----- From: Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 5:46 PM To: IMS Operations Subject: Information I will be gone all day Tuesday/01-9-01 at an Operations Offsite Staff Meeting. I will be accessible via cell or pager listed below- Thanks Misusing the global distribution list

7. Poor Usage Discussion that could have been done on the phone

8. Use Smart Subject Lines • All messages should have clear and specific “Subject Lines” that • describes the message content • specifies if there are any actions required & due dates • mentions clearly who the message is for • Subject Line Template: TAG description [actions] [due date] [(EOM)]

9. Use Smart Subject Lines TAG description [action] [due dates] [(EOM)] • Good Subject Line Examples • FYI ONLY: Meeting minutes from 3/14 discussion • WSR: Joe Smith – Operations WW17 • ARs Included: Minutes from MRC, all ARs due Friday 4/1 • DISTRIBUTE: Program POR updated & related information • Bob, Joe: need you at noon meeting Wed w/ your updates • AGENDA: Staff meeting Thurs 3/12 10:00 pm • Mary: I will attend the WW FTF & present summary. (EOM) • Poor Subject Line Examples • Weekly Minutes • Here are the URLs • Re: presentation • (blank subject line) • Unrelated subject line – sending an email with an old subject line that does not relate to this message

10. Use Smart Subject Lines • If you can type your entire message in the subject line and don’t need to write anything in the body of the message - do so! • Type (EOM) at the end of the subject line. EOM means “end of message”

11. Think Before You Click • Don’t automatically “REPLY TO ALL”. • Take one last look at your distribution list – is this email necessary for all recipients. • Once the email discussion goes beyond 2-3 replies anyway, it’s time to pick up the phone

12. Write For Action • In the first 1-3 lines of your email, specify what this email is about. • Does it include action required? • Does it require a reply back by a certain date? • What information is contained that the reader will find necessary for their job? • Use the To: and Cc: addresses appropriately

13. Reducing the Load • Overloaded – system & recipient • Use text messages every time you can • Status Reports, Meeting Minutes, Trip Reports, Simple Proposals • Use formatted documents when necessary • Spreadsheets, presentations, formal documents • Stop replies before they start • If a reply is not required, end your message with “(Reply Not Necessary)”

14. Quality Communications • Email is not the right communication tool when “quick response” is needed • Use email to convey non-sensitive or non-emotional information

15. Quality Communications • If an email discussion doesn’t end in 1-2 replies and get the results that are necessary – STOP • Ask yourself, are you sharing expertise, or just venting • Constructive confrontation or disagreements do NOT get resolved in email

16. Recommended Standards Recommended Subject Line Tags: • URG - Stop everything, read me first • HOT - Need immediate attention • RSP - Need you to respond, either way • MTG - New/modified meetings • FWD - Forward to your respective group(s) • HLP - Need information, assistance with a problem • FYI - Just for your information • ACT - Needs action

17. Recommended Standards Rules: • No outlook templates or “pretty stationary" when sending/replying messages • Reply to sender only. Only "Reply to All" when absolutely necessary • PowerPoint Files: Zip all attachments. Large files; use shared server or websites • When possible, short messages should be written in the subject line, with the EOM tag

18. Recommended Standards Rules: • No discussions in email. When people start "talking" in email, please stop • Carbon Copy your manager if you really need to • Do not use UPPER case alphabets unless using it as a title. This gives a negative connotation (looks like you are yelling those words)

19. General Tips • Use Follow Up Flags. • If you find you are on a distribution list you don’t need to be on • send a note to the originator to be removed. • If you get involved in an email discussion that you don’t need to be in • ask to be taken off the distribution. • While forwarding the message delete the list of email addresses if not necessary • If you see someone else practicing bad email etiquette • send a friendly note and ask them to correct it

20. General Tips Incoming Email Tips: • Process your email in batches • Don’t overreact to nuance in email

21. General Tips Font: • Use standard font throughout the message content • Avoid colored fonts in a professional email • Be very specific with the use of bold, italic or underline font style • Keep the size of the font visible and constant • Paragraph and line spacing should be legitimate and visually appealing • Avoid short forms or slang (e.g. ‘u’ instead of ‘you’, ‘y’ instead of ‘why’, ‘r’ instead of ‘are’, etc)

22. Examples From: XYZ Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 5:46 PM To: ABC Subject: Information Dear Sir, With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level. With reference to the below mentioned mail, the issue to a higher level. With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail. Regards, XYZ 

23. Examples From: XYZ Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 5:46 PM To: ABC Subject: Information Dear Sir, With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level. With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to thebelow mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence therewas no need to escalate the issue to a higher levelWith reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher levelWith reference to the below mentioned mail. Regards, XYZ

24. Examples From: XYZ Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 5:46 PM To: ABC Subject: Information Dear Sir, With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level. With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and HENCE THERE WAS NO NEED TO ESCALATE THE ISSUE TO A HIGHER LEVEL WITH REFERENCE TO THE BELOW MENTIONED mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher levelWith reference to the below mentioned mail. Regards, XYZ

25. Examples From: XYZ Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 5:46 PM To: ABC Subject: Information Dear Sir, With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level. With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail, I would like to mention here that the required action was taken long back and hence there was no need to escalate the issue to a higher level With reference to the below mentioned mail. Regards, XYZ 

26. Call to Action • Implement these guidelines in your own email usage • It’s got to start with you

27. Questions & Comments

28. Thank You