Here are some tips for making better use of email at work and in personal life.
- When you send an email to multiple people asking for a response or assigning a task, specify by name who you are asking for a response or action from. Otherwise people may read your email and assume one of the others will act on it.
- Avoid using the bcc feature in a sneaky way to tell someone else (e.g. the main recipient’s boss) only your side of the story without telling the known recipients.
- Give people reasonable time to respond to your email, even if they have mobile devices (like BlackBerry or other email enabled phones).
- Realize that some people are overwhelmed by email and you should occasionally reach out to them in person or via phone for certain important matters. Email is not a replacement for all personal communication.
- Avoid checking your email on a mobile device when interacting with other people in person except when absolutely necessary, for example in a meeting. It is rude and it implies you are not focusing on your job in the meeting.
- If your job requires you to be on alert for certain messages, set up alerts via mail filters that will sound or vibrate the device to inform you of messages that require you to interrupt your current activity.
