They might if you ignore the reality that every note you send a customer, colleague or manager can project your image of professionalism, competency and courtesy — or detract from it. So, if you don’t want your emails to suck, just avoid these worst practices:
Effective Workplace Writing
Do Your Emails Suck?
Your routine workplace emails might suck if you ignore the reality that every note you send a customer, colleague or manager can project your image of professionalism, competency and courtesy — or detract from it. So, if you don’t want your emails to suck, just avoid these worst practices:
- Not asking if everyone on a large distribution list really needs or wants to see this message.
- Retaining long strings of email addresses that precede your actual message.
- Using an ineffective subject line like ‘Report’ or, even worse, ‘no subject’
FAQs About FAQs
How often does a customer call, text or email you with a question? If you said ‘rarely’, then you’re either very good or very lucky. Stop reading now and go do something fun in stead. If you said ‘often’ or ‘a lot’, then read on – this one’s for you.
Do Your Emails Suck?
Your routine workplace emails might suck if you ignore the reality that every note you send a customer, colleague or manager can project your image of professionalism, competency and courtesy — or detract from it.
WordPower – Your Laughable Redundancies
We’ve gotten into some sloppy habits regarding redundancy. While this tendency may not be a major problem in verbal or written communication, it does waste words and the result is often amusing. Unless you’re a comedian, you probably don’t want people chuckling about what you say or write. So, here are some reminders:
Workplace Writing Power Pointers
Your effective workplace writing should pass the ‘7-C Test’ – is is Clear, Conversational, Concise, Consistent, Credible, Compelling & Correct? To help you all get an ‘A’ on this test with everything you write, this new series will regularly share simple pointers and tips and also respond to readers’ questions or comments that they generate.
So, let’s start with a few ‘Power Pointers’ to help you be more ‘Correct’: