Best pr ac t i c es - Copi ng w i t h emai l over l oad

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Corporate E-Mail Policy: A Review
Always use professional behavior
Circulation of offensive content is grounds for dismissal
The e-mail system is a corporate asset: there is no expectation of privacy
Do not forward business e-mail to personal e-mail accounts
Do not circulate chain letters or commercial offers
Sending confidential information to unauthorized people is prohibited

A Word from Legal
E-mail is not meant for indefinite storing of information or documents
E-mail is not for extensive conversation. Conversational communication should be
conducted face to face or via phone.
E-mail is increasingly being used in corporate litigation
Any e-mail you write is likely to be preserved by somebody somewhere
E-mail can be misinterpreted in court cases: write clearly and unambiguously
All messages should uphold the ethical values of the company

Write Better E-Mails
One subject per e-mail. Stick to one topic per mail.
It's better to provide two different shorter mails about a single subject each, than a
long mail covering both.
Write Clear Subject Lines
Write a subject line that provides insight into the core intention of the message. A
clear and specific subject line will help recipients decide what to do with the
message more quickly and accurately
Best practices for subject line codes are
FYI: For Your Information
RR: Reply Requested
NRN: No Response Necessary
Use bullet points
Call out specific action requests
Keep it brief
Offer a phone option if the topic is complex or emotional
It is considered common courtesy that you send a reply to an action-requested mail.
Do not include attachments over 4MB. For file sharing of larger files, use a
document storage solution.

Prune your mailbox
Unsubscribe to:Newsletters, Tips of the day, Social networks, LinkedIn updates
Anything not needed for work
Or have it redirected to your personal mail account

Quick Tips on Changing E-Mail Habits
Delete what you do not need to keep the in-box less cluttered
Write short messages
If a quick reply (under two minutes) will resolve the issue, then reply at that time
The Rule of Three: Any time that e-mail correspondence goes back and forth three
times, consider an in-person discussion or phone call. Talking about an issue can
expedite resolution of the matter and save countless messages

Best pr ac t i c es - Copi ng w i t h emai l over l oad

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Go Lightly on the cc:, Distribution Lists and Reply All
A message sent as a cc: to a correspondent is only for information, never for action.
Before sending a message, determine if everyone really needs to be copied:
Do they really need to be cc'ed? If so, call out why they are cc'ed
Does it really require a Distribution List? Or, would a shorter, custom list work?
Does everybody need to be on the Reply All? Or would a private response to the
sender, or the sender and a few other people, suffice?
If there is a long, contentious thread, set up a conference call to settle the matter
Never add a name to a cc: line if not necessary. Never send important information
as a cc:. There is a risk that the receivers will reduce its priority or even ignore it,
while you still made them legally accountable for knowing that information.
The use of bcc: is only acceptable when sending to large lists of recipients (25 or
more)

Use of Calendar
The calendar is the reference point for all others in the company to find an available
meeting time with you.
All scheduled meetings or events that influence your free/busy time are expected to
be booked in your calendar.
The calendar does not need to be public. Colleagues do not need to be able to read
all the details about your appointments.
It is recommended you book time in your calendar to secure some time for yourself.
Always reply to a meeting request.
Always free-up resources when you will not be using them after all.

E-Mail Culture, or E-Mail Rules of the Road
Users have 24 hours to reply to a message: if the matter is urgent, use other
communication options
Users copied on the cc: line are not obligated to read or reply to the message
Users are free to politely point out breaches in e-mail best practices and etiquette
Out of office messages must have either alternative contact information (your phone
number, for example) or an alternative person to contact in your absence
Private distribution list owners must send out a message once a year asking if any
participants want to be removed from the list