Chris Bonney

What's Your Email Intention?

So, why do you send email? Seriously, do you think about what your intention is behind sending an email? What do you really want to happen?

More than likely you'd say:

- to dispel information
- to persuade someone to do something
- to confirm information
- to delegate action

And, yes, these might seem like motivations, but consider context and consider intention. People say they got married because they were in love, but their intention very well may have been to marry someone who can support them financially. One is an acceptable motivation, while the other is their true intention.

So, consider your intention. Who are you sending the email to? At what time of day are you sending it? Is it the weekend? Who's copied? Suddenly, you're not just dispelling information or delegating action, right?

You may be:

- Covering your ass for something you put off doing
- Pointing blame in a different direction
- "Delegating" work you should actually be doing
- Perpetuating a 24/7 work culture
- Putting forth a false impression that you're someone who works late

So...
Have the integrity and grit to refrain from sending emails with negative intentions. Be honest with yourself in email and it can have a ripple effect throughout all of your business communications. Be bigger than the next guy. Know that it's okay to wait till Monday to respond. Know that by sending your subordinate a non-urgent email late on a Friday you're sending a cloaked message along with it that says, "Don't think about getting out of here early today."

It's not an easy thing to admit, but if you're serious about a remedy to your bloated inbox, this is a magnificent first step.

Top 11 List: Ban These Words From Your Emails

David Silverman at the Harvard Business blog had a great post today called, "10 Business Words to Ban."

My two favorites listed are "net-net" and "value add." There are some other humdingers, so you should check out the post in case you're wondering how annoying you really sound to other people.

David recommends banning them from your biz speak and I'd like to second him on that and relate it to the focus of this blog: email. When writing it's even more important to be cognizant of how you're using these outdated, no substance terms. Are you guilty of using them in email?

To make this a top 11 list, I'm adding one of my own. I commented on David's blog with my entry. Here's what I wrote:

How about: "Let me know if you have any questions?"
What are we really saying? I know I've probably just given you erroneous, confusing information so if you don't understand it, let me know? Or are we saying I know you probably don't feel like you can normally ask me a question, but in this case it's okay?

"Let me know if you have any questions" is a lazy out for lack of a better way to end a conversation or email.

How about you. Got a 12th?

This post is one from my "Email 50" project. The goal is to publish 50 consecutive posts providing helpful advice on how to do email better in this information overloaded world.