Vol. 46, No. 7
Don't Touch That 'Send' Button!
- Don’t use your in-box as a catchall folder. Read items once, then answer immediately, delete or move to a project-specific folder.
- Agree on company acronyms for subject lines, such as “AR” for action required or “MFR” for monthly financial report.
- Send group mail sparingly—use only when useful to all recipients. Use “reply all” and “cc” with caution.
- Ask to be removed from distribution lists you do not need to be on.
- Use the “out of office” feature and voice mail message to alert people when you are traveling.
- Before sending an attachment in a particular format, make sure the recipient can open it.
- Avoid sending attachments and graphics to people on the road, unless absolutely necessary. Such attachments can be slow to download. Post large attachments (more than 5 MB) on a web page instead.
- Be specific and helpful. If you send a 30-page attachment, point out critical information on certain pages.
- Collect what you have to say in one e-mail rather than send one message per thought.
- Respond to your messages as quickly as possible, preferably by the end of the same day.