The document discusses best practices for using email in a business or organizational setting. It states that email should be used to effectively communicate information to develop professional relationships and move initiatives forward. Email is considered a formal work communication and anything sent may be monitored or retained, so it should be written professionally and avoid personal discussions or gossip. Proper email etiquette includes being concise, using an appropriate tone, including action items for recipients, and considering formatting and recipients when composing messages.

1. AMERICANBUSINESSWRITING.COM Organizational Email Communication Email, an organizational communication strategy Email, a professional, not personal communication form Email, a personal, career communication strategy Email, best practices

2. AMERICANBUSINESSWRITING.COM Email, an organizational communication strategy Email serves to build and maintain a civil, respectful work environment. And it serves to offer clarification and instruction when employed tactfully. Email serves as an important component in developing positive, professional relationships with customers. Email serves as an efficient means to move initiatives ahead by providing critical information in an accurate, comprehensive, and timely manner. Email is not used to convey gossip, backbiting, flaming, or personal differences; differences of opinion can be handled better through direct communication.

3. AMERICANBUSINESSWRITING.COM Email, a professional, not personal communication form All email messages written on a company system are work products that reflect on the professionalism of the writer and that of the company. * Assume that all messages written in the context of work or on a company email system are legally the property of the organization. * Assume that your company can monitor employees' email messages. * Assume that any email can be forwarded. What you send to one person can be forwarded to everyone in the company. * Assume that your messages can live forever. What you write today can affect your professional opportunities twenty years from now.

4. AMERICANBUSINESSWRITING.COM Email, a personal, career strategy Good writing demonstrates the key professional skill set of information management, that is, an understanding of how to acquire, manage, and distribute knowledge critical to decisions, initiatives, and professional relationships. Good writing demonstrates the key professional skill set of explicited wisdom, that is, expert knowledge drawn from the body of untapped, expert wisdom the exists within and outside the company and made available to the organization. Good writing demonstrates a clear commitment to organizational responsibility, lending personal intelligence and integrity to achieving organizational goals and to developing a positive work environment.

5. AMERICANBUSINESSWRITING.COM Email, best practices Who is the one and only recipient for every email message? How soon should an email be replied to? When is an email message be both concise and detailed? What is the appropriate tone for every email? When should action steps for recipients be included and how? When is an angry email message appropriate? When is the worst day to send an email? What is the optimal length for an email generally? When are attachments appropriate? When should a recipient be included in the TO/CC/BCC lines? What fonts and font sizes are appropriate for email use? When is plain text appropriate as an email format? When are all caps appropriate in an email? What is the correct line length for an email? What is the best length in characters for an email that is to be forwarded? When should points be bulleted or numbered in an email?