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by Ron Blicq

RU13: Are You Drowning in E-Mail?

Diane Kunde, writing in the San Diego Union, reports that 71% of managers, professionals, and support staff feel overwhelmed by the volume of email they receive.

We can’t halt the flow of incoming email messages, but we can give you some suggestions that will help you become a better email communicator.

Write "Pyramid Style"

Try using the pyramid method when you write your next email message:

  1. Start with what you most want your reader to know and, if appropriate, what action you want the reader to take.
  2. Follow with any background information the reader may need to understand the reason for your message, and provide details about any point that may need further explanation.

Keep Messages Short

Busy readers want the messages they receive to be concise yet complete. Check that each message contains only the information your reader needs to respond or to act. Before writing, separate essential need to know information from less important nice to know details.

If you are writing to multiple readers, send two messages rather than a single all-embracing message:

  1. Write a short summary for readers who will be interested only in the main event and the result.
  2. Write an in-depth message for readers who need all the details.

But remember: email does not give you a license to

Neither is it a forum for telling long stories and anecdotes.

Be Prudent

Proofread your email very carefully: the informality of the medium and the speed with which you can create and answer messages invites carelessness! Email is not a good medium for conveying confidential information. Your messages can too easily be forwarded to other readers, and then you have no control over who else may see what you have written.

Similarly, be just as sensitive when deciding to copy a message to another person. Be sure that the original sender would want his or her message distributed to a wider audience.

Avoid Complex Formatting

Avoid creating columns and indenting subparagraphs, because what you see on screen most likely will not be what your readers see. If you need to format columns, consider creating the message as a word-processor file and sending it as an attachment to an email message.

Your formatted screen may look like this:

Facilities are located as follows:
Facility Location Distance
Master Control Calgary 3.6 miles south of transmitter
Remote Site 1 Red Deer City center
Remote Site 2 Edmonton 2.5 miles north of university

 

But your reader will probably see something like this:

Facilities are located as follows:
Facility  Location  Distance
Master Control      Calgary   3.6 miles south of transmitter
Remote Site 1       Red Deer  city center
Remote Site 2       Edmonton  2.5 miles north of university

 

Notes
  1. The "Pyramid Style" of writing was developed by Ron Bliq 20 years ago and is featured in depth in three books he and co-author Lisa Moretto have published with Prentice Hall: "Guidelines for Report Writing", "Technically-Write!", and "Communicating at Work", and one published by the IEEE Press: "Writing Reports to Get Results". There is more information on their Web site http://www.rgi-intl.com.
 
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