4. Because text lacks context.
• Other person’s immediate
situation (not personal)
• Tone of voice (sarcasm, humor,
emotion)
• Immediate feedback ("huh?")
35. • Shrink the list as the thread
topic narrows.
• Don’t tattle or show off by
including senior people.
• Get "loop consent." Do you want
to be included?
• Hit “reply all” judiciously.
36. 6. Respond to other
people’s email mindfully.
When you do choose to use
email . . .
39. On Friday, Jan. 3, Fred Smith Fred@smith.com wrote: Lorem ipsum dolor sit
amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam leo leo, mattis vitae tortor ut, suscipit
porta diam. Donec rutrum, massa a interdum pharetra, eros ipsum molestie
nibh, sit amet consequat lacus nisi nec mi.
On Wednesday, Dec. 12, Alice Jones Alice@Jones.com wrote: Lorem ipsum
dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam leo leo, mattis vitae tortor
ut, suscipit porta diam. Donec rutrum, massa a interdum pharetra, eros ipsum
molestie nibh, sit amet consequat lacus nisi nec mi.
On Monday, Dec. 6, Fred Smith Fred@smith.com wrote: Lorem ipsum dolor
sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam leo leo, mattis vitae tortor ut,
suscipit porta diam. Donec rutrum, massa a interdum pharetra, eros ipsum
molestie nibh, sit amet consequat lacus nisi nec mi.
Fred –
Sounds good.
Alice
40. • Highlight your references in
previous message.
• Put your edits in a different color.
• Take a few words to remind your
reader of the context.
42. Edit threads and attachments so
your message isn’t dragging a
bunch of distractions behind it.
43. 7. Remember the human.
When you do choose to use
email . . .
44. . . . balanced between
human-to-human contact
and concision.
Keep your messages
efficient but . . .
45.
46. 1. Sometimes the best email is no email.
2. Write as if your readers are judging you and
your message by appearances.
3. Do more work so your reader does less.
4. Use helpful subject lines.
5. Curate distribution lists.
7. Remember the human.
6. Respond to other people’s email mindfully.
“age it in oak” watch out for emotion, esepcially humor
“age it in oak” watch out for emotion, esepcially humor
Tone of voice, body language, context offers more information -- telephone is live conversation
Tone of voice, body language, context offers more information
Garbage in space does not degrade – it is exactly the same as it was, will never decompose and go away – now it’s pristine and worse, it’s orbittng out of context for anyone to see
Not clear, not efficient, and perhaps regrettable to put preliminary, ill formed thoughts in an email, not a good place for felelng out or brainstorming
Take a moment. When you are using weapons, put the safety on.
Don’t stand out, err on the side of formality
Create space to invite your reader into the communication.
Flippancy, humor, etc. Think of “future you” and others to whom the message might be forwarded – it’s not just the msg of the moment to one person.
Flippancy, humor, etc. Think of “future you” and others to whom the message might be forwarded – it’s not just the msg of the moment to one person.
double check information (wrong numbers, dates)
proofread! the number one complaint around the table at Paralegal Program Advisory Board are typos, grammatical errors and inconsistent formatting. Spell check is inadequate.
ask a colleague to proof your work, when appropriate
You enable people to respond, even if you've already sent the attachments five times.
Attach something for the second or third time. Be clear about what you’re asking for. Be clear about deadlines.
Change when the subject changes
Proposed
Revised
Takes intellectual effort – it’s kind of a haiku, but the exytra effort pays off for “future you”
Think about researching and filing emails – labels are key.
Nothing that says "important," "confidential," etc.
Change when the subject changes:
Proposed
Revised
No tattling (remember rule of 3)
No showing off
No mindless inclusion
Ask people if they want to be included
Highlight relevent passages
Highlight relevent passages
Highlight relevent passages
Loud, busy distractions
No tattling (remember rule of 3)
No showing off
No mindless inclusion
Ask people if they want to be included
hello, how are you, thank you --
salutations and sign offs, acknowledges of the other person as a person
hello, how are you, thank you --
salutations and sign offs, acknowledges of the other person as a person
