E-mail technology is great – but it has also wreaked havoc on the way we communicate. Follow these tips to stay organized and effective while using e-mail to your advantage. The following is summarized from Harvard Business School’s “Working Knowledge” on-line newsletter.

• Remember KISS. When sending or responding to e-mail, keep it simple sir!


• Decide if e-mail is the best way to communicate. Time-sensitive information, as well as potential conflicts, should be handled either face-to-face or on the phone. E-mail may be “instant,” but not for everyone. Also, e-mails don’t always deliver your tone of voice properly, which can result in miscommunication at critical, sensitive times.


• Understand how each individual prefers to be reached. Determine how quickly he or she will respond. Some people are buried under e-mail and don’t reply quickly. If something is important, use the phone or make a follow-up phone call.


• Respond only when necessary. If no action’s required, avoid replying with something generic like “OK” or “Thanks”.


• Act within 24 hours, if possible. This isn’t always feasible, but it’s a best practice we can all strive to achieve. Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect, just professional.

• Insert recipient names in the “To” field only when you’ve finished your message. This prevents sending e-mails too soon with a quick click of the "send" button.


• Reread for tone. Before sending any message, read it from the recipient’s point of view. If anything could be misunderstood or taken the wrong way, carefully reword for greater clarity.


• Use a subject line to summarize, not describe. Make your subject rich enough that your readers can decide whether it's relevant.


• Ask yourself why you're sending to each recipient, and let them know at the start of the message what they should do with it. This will also force you to consider why you're including each person.


• Make action requests clear. If you want things to get done, say so. Clearly. Summarize action items so everyone can read them at one glance and knows what to do.


• Edit forwarded messages. If someone sends you a message, don't forward it without editing it. Make it appropriate for the ultimate recipient and make sure it doesn't get the original sender in trouble.


• Check e-mail at defined times each day. We hate telemarketers during dinner, so why tolerate e-mail when we're trying to get something done? Turn off your e-mail "autocheck" and only check e-mail two times a day when you choose. When it is time, ignore the phone, and blast through the messages.


• The bottom line: E-mail can impact your professional image, so choose your words carefully.

Vali G. Heist