Stop Email from Killing Me - Part 4

Here’s tip 6:
I triage my email.

I prioritize my email as more important using a few simple criteria:

• The email has a useful subject line. I’ve started using
  • ACTION: for tasks I send to my direct reports
  • REQUEST: for tasks I send outside my department
  • MEETING: when I have follow up meeting information
  • INFO: general low-priority information
  • UPDATES: updates on several issues for teammates as opposed to sending multiple emails throughout the day
  • DELIVERY: information I was asked to provide
  • ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: information students must read

When an important email does not have a clear subject line, I change it when I reply to include the point and key words I would search for later if I tried to find it.

• The email has a clear purpose. After the subject line, this should be clearly stated in the body of the email. (Write effectively for the Web)
• The sender was “e-considerate.” For me, the #1 considerate behavior is including our previous correspondence in the email. If I have to take time to search for the context of their question, the email is automatically lowered in priority. I know… if you just reply to the original email, Outlook does this automatically, but some people don’t do that.
• The sender has some legitimate crisis and has tried to find the answer on their own.

I prioritize a message as less important using similar criteria:

• The subject line is unclear, or worse, blank.
• The email has no clear purpose. If the text is more than seven sentences and has no paragraph breaks, it is rambling. If I can’t scan the screen and quickly determine the action or deadline, it is rambling.
• The sender was not “e-considerate.” For me, the #1 inconsiderate behavior is not answering my emails, as this is a basic point of etiquette. Other behaviors includes cases where
  • they don’t realize I already sent them the answer
  • they want me to take the time to write a thoughtful answer, but they did not take the time spell check or proofread their email… not to be unkind, I’ll point out that I am a terrible speller, and so it has to be bad for me to notice it (Automate Spellcheck in Outlook)
  • they request a meeting, but include none of their availabilities
• The sender has no legitimate crisis. This includes cases where
  • they could have looked up the answer themselves
  • the problem could have been prevented with some forethought
  • my previous emails to deal with this before it reached a crises were ignored

Email is a party to which English teachers have not been invited - Craig Hogan