5 Lesser-Known Email Etiquette Rules You Might Be Breaking
Can we have a moratorium on "gentle reminders?"
By Alison Green
In the two decades since email began saturating most American workplaces, most
people have come to agree on some basic etiquette
rules, such as don't reply all when you don't need to and avoid
using all caps unless you're screaming at someone.
But there are finer points of email etiquette that aren't as universally
acknowledged but can make you a far more effective emailer. Here are five
lesser-known email etiquette breaches that you might still make.
1. Waiting to respond to an email until you know the
answer – even if it takes days. Here's what this
often looks like: You receive an email asking you for a specific piece of
information. You won't be able to get that information until next week, so you
put the email aside until you have it. But you don't email the sender back to
let them know that that's the situation, since you're figuring that you'll just
respond when you have the answer they're looking for. This is problematic,
because the sender is left wondering whether you even received the message,
whether you've forgotten about it, and what's taking so long. In some cases,
they'll become annoyed.
Do this repeatedly, and you'll create a
reputation for yourself as slow to get back to people. The solution
is easy: Send a quick email saying, "I should be able to get back to you
about this by early next week." That takes 10 seconds, and then you
haven't left anyone hanging.
2. Assuming that you don't need to respond if you're more
junior than others receiving the email. If you're relatively junior, this might sound familiar: A co-worker sends
an email to you and your boss, with a straightforward question that either of
you could answer. You figure that since your boss is more senior, it's most
polite to defer to her. In reality, though, your boss might appreciate you
handling the query and saving her time – and might be concerned if she notices
that you never chime in when you could be fielding routine queries. This is a
case of "know your manager,"
of course, but if you're unsure if your manager falls in this category, it's
worth asking.
3. Sending out "gentle reminders." You've probably noticed the trend of including the phrase "gentle
reminder" in the subject line of emails that are, well, reminding the
recipient of something. But to many recipients, the phrase conveys, "I
think you might be offended by a normal workplace interaction and so I am
approaching you very gingerly." There's no need to announce that you're
softening the message, and that kind of tiptoeing will tick off many
colleagues.
4. Responding to a serious or sensitive email with only
"OK." Sometimes answering emails with a simple
"OK" is completely fine; for instance, if your co-worker emails you
about the new location of the copier paper, a longer reply isn't needed.
However, if your manager emails you about a problem with your work and you
write back nothing more than "OK," you'll likely come across as
inappropriately flippant or curt.
It can be especially tempting to send this two-letter reply if you're
emailing from a phone, where typing a longer reply is more difficult – but some
situations warrant waiting until you're back at a computer (or can talk
in-person, which remains an option!). Emailing from a phone doesn't absolve you
of your responsibility to think about how your message will come across.
5. Sending emails that are too long or aren't clear about
what action you're requesting. If your emails read like a stream of consciousness or include every detail of a situation when
your recipient only needs the upshot, chances are good that you're trying
people's patience – and at this point in email's evolution, you might even come
across as not understanding how most use email.
Effective emails in the workplace are usually short – meaning just a few short
paragraphs, or a bulleted list if you're including lots of details. They're
also crystal clear about what you'd like the recipient to do (approve
something/give input/take action) or whether it's just an FYI. Bury that
information, and your recipients are far less likely to do whatever it is
you're asking of them.
Alison Green writes the popular Ask a Manager blog, where she dispenses advice on career, job search and management issues.
She's the author of "How to Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager,"
co-author of "Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Manager's Guide
to Getting Results" and the former chief of staff of a successful
nonprofit organization, where she oversaw day-to-day staff management.