Monthly Words Of Wisdom June 1999: WRITING E-MAIL

MONTHLY WORDS OF WISDOM

June 1999

WRITING E-MAIL

In today's world many people use e-mail as their preferred method of communication. People may consider e-mail to be different from regular writing because of its informal nature; therefore, they feel they do not need to "write well" when they send a quick e-mail message. However, the impression of a poorly written e-mail can be as negative as a poorly written letter - only it arrives sooner.

The following points should be kept in mind when sending e-mail.

Is my tone appropriate for my audience and occasion? Have I refrained from using sarcasm or irony? If I have used humor, can I be sure that it will be understood?

Do I sound like the kind of person I want or need to be while at work? Am I signaling that I am competent and resourceful, helpful and accommodating?

Is my content clear, concise, focused, and accurate? Am I short and to the point?

Have I made any statements or errors that would embarrass me if copies of this message were distributed elsewhere?

Does my subject line describe the content of my message?

Be aware that an E-mail message could be interpreted as a legal written contract.

If I need a response, have I established the kind of response I need and when I need it?

Have I sent copies to everyone who should receive one? To anyone who need not?

If forwarding a message, have I edited the message to clean out extraneous mailing information? Have I added my own message as to why forwarding, what action required, etc?

Am I respecting the privacy of others or am I forwarding a personal message without permission?

Remember – when you E-mail like you talk – the other person does not see your facial expressions or other body language, or hear your voice tones. You should be careful how you say things.

Teaching effective writing is part of the Saunders Systems Effective Communication and Effective Writing courses. The Writing E-Mail Points listed above are used as a handout in those courses. If there are comments about these subjects, please call Paul Saunders at 615-367-1717 or Paul@SaundersSystems.com.