Sending E-Mail the Efficient Way

You’ve read volumes about how to control your inbox, but what about the e-mail you send? Help others help you more quickly by adhering to these rules:

Write a clear, informative subject line to ensure you get what you need. “Misc.,” “Stuff,” “Quick question” or (horrors!) “No subject” doesn’t cut it — not when the recipient is dealing with 200 e-mails per day. The subject line is the one part of the message you can guarantee that he’ll see, so use it wisely. Do you need information about the location of the upcoming meeting? Put it in the subject line, so your reader doesn’t have to waste time trying to figure it out. If your entire message is contained in the subject line, add (EOM), which means “end of message,” in the subject line as well, so the recipient doesn’t even have to open the e-mail. If you don’t need a response, add (NRN), which means “no reply needed.”

Need more clarity? Consider adding a section to the top of the e-mail body that specifies exactly what the recipient needs to know, like this:

This e-mail is: [x] actionable [ ] fyi [ ] social
Response needed: [ ] yes [x] up to you [ ] no
Time-sensitive: [x] by June 5 [ ] no

Keep your email to one subject at a time. Sure, it may be easier for you to dump all of your ideas in one e-mail, but you run the risk of having your reader miss an important item. (You also make it tough for the recipient to file the e-mail.)

Forget Emily Post. Don’t waste your time with meaningless responses like “No problem” or “OK.” When you’re dealing with 175 e-mails per day, do you really have time to respond with a “No problem?” For that matter, your colleague probably doesn’t have time to read that message either.