Email communication - Efficiency

Now, here’s an appeal from all of us, struggling every day with meetings, tasks, deadlines, giving explanations, and trying to make sure projects are delivered in a due manner and on time:

Be efficient!

 

Should I give an example? Of course.

 

When one sends an email to ask for support from a person and there are more than one people to decide on a project (and included in the email), please get together and establish the wants. It’s easy. Have a short meeting and clarify what you want for the project.

 

Don’t! I repeat, don’t send us emails in which you try to clarify with others interested about the project the details of it. It’s not efficient, it wastes a lot of time (for all of the parties), and it is really demotivating. Not considering it shows no respect and kindness for the person you are spamming with emails.

It is exactly like watching a tennis match. Only that one is not in one's free time and the exchanging of the balls (in this case, emails) does not bring excitment (that is, understanding). Why would anyone send to a third party a considerate number of emails before establishing the wants for the project  together with the interested party?!

 

I know it’s easier to send emails and to expect that the people reading them will have the overview, but get this – emails are not literature so they are not read for pleasure’s sake. And also, bear this thing in mind too when sending emails after emails (where you discuss with the other parties interested about the project, trying to reach a decision) – you are not the only one sending us emails.

 

So be mindful of the time that people spend reading emails and try to be as efficient as possible. I am no fan of the never-ending meetings, but sometimes a 10-minutes call can make a difference. So schedule that meeting with your interested party and this way you will make sure you are communicating only the relevant information to the person you are asking support from.

 

Be kind, be efficient; it’s not at all that difficult as it may seem!

Addition (October 2023)

I was mentioning above that it is important not to send emails after emails in which you try to clarify what you want together with the team. But I have another request. And it's fresh - Do not send WhatsApp-emails. 

What's an WhatsApp-email? A reply that contains several phrases but which is sent in different emails, one phrase after the other.

For example:

The first email - Thank you. It's very good, but it needs some additions.  

The second email (sent after a minute or two) - You have to delete this fragment. 

The third email (sent after ten minutes) - And add this link, please. 

The fourth email (sent after five minutes) - And attach this document that we talked about yesterday. I think Maria sent it to you last week.  

Discipline is needed in order to be brief and concise, but it is hardly something difficult to do. One must not be a writer or a communications specialist in order to efficiently communicate. First, one has to think of the other, to put oneself in the other person's shoes. And most of all, to understand that the other does not live in your head, and thus cannot access all the information that you might have and 'read' your mind about what exactly you want one to do.