Email Etiquette for the Super-Busy

Sharin' some email work etiquettes…..

Email Etiquette for the Super-Busy

1.    Use expressive and compelling subject lines.

The subject line is a key place to indicate importance and time sensitivity. Use leaders like “FOR APPROVAL:” or “SCHEDULING REQUEST:” or “FYI:” to indicate what action is or is not needed. It's useful to think of subject lines like newspaper (or blog) headlines – they should be expressive and compelling.

2.    Be concise.

Strive to keep emails to one line or less. If they can’t be that short, keep them as concise as possible. Your contact is just as likely to be checking the message on a Smartphone as on a desktop computer, and shorter is easier to digest.

3.    Include deadlines.

Some people think that handing out deadlines can seem dictatorial. On the contrary, successful busy people welcome a deadline. It helps them integrate the tasks into their schedule. If a response is imperative, politely include a deadline. If a response is optional, communicate that as well: “If I don’t hear back from you by 1/18, I’ll proceed with the solution I’ve proposed.”