21 Do’s and Don’ts to Improve Your Email

Don’t Copy Yourself on Messages – You get enough email. Seriously. You don’t need to copy yourself on messages. Ever.

Don’t Copy Yourself on Messages – You get enough email. Seriously. You don’t need to copy yourself on messages. Ever.

Do Archive Those Messages – The average email user has thousands of emails rotting in their inbox. These only clutter your email and impede your productivity. Get older messages out of your inbox and into an archive.

But, Don’t File Them – The average email user has 37 folders they try to sort their email into when filing. This is a waste of time and effort. Archive your email into a common folder and in the off case you need to find a message again, Google-search your email.

Don’t Send Large Attachments – Blasting someone with an inbox (and mobile) crushing attachment isn’t cool. If you are sending large documents or video, send a link for download instead of the actual file.

Do Work Your Email from the Top – Process your email inbox starting with the newest message. This may seem counter-intuitive, but you can save yourself much time and effort. Often, newer messages will have already addressed the inquiries of older messages.

Do Use Other Communication Channels – Don’t get stuck in an email only communication world. Use other methods such as text messages, phone, and even in person. (Many newer technologies like Slack can replace your team email entirely.)

Don’t (Ever) Send Flame Mail – Never ever send an email in anger. Hit “Delete” instead of “Send.” Before you send that Flame Mail, ask yourself, “Would I be embarrassed if this message was made public?” It just might… you never know.

Write Better Emails

Write Better Emails

Email doesn’t have to be bad.

Use these 21 tips and guidelines to improve your emails.

Not only will you write more effective emails, but your co-workers will thank you. (But, hopefully not with a “Reply-All.”)