Art of the Email

Main ideas / lessons from the lecture

• Purpose of the lecture: Teach students to avoid common workplace email mistakes, apply best practices for professional communication, and develop a clear approach for an upcoming assignment (Part 1 of the “Great Communicator Packet”).
• Email is professional communication and a record: Even though email is quick, it leaves a written trail and represents your workplace/organization.
• Clarity and structure matter: Poor organization, unclear subject lines, and inappropriate tone can make messages confusing or harmful.
• Tone and content must be carefully managed: Email can easily be misread as harsh, overly serious, or overly informal; humor and casual language increase misunderstanding risk.
• Use email to facilitate appropriate conversations: Don’t use email to avoid a direct person-to-person discussion when one is needed.
• Follow a consistent email template: Subject line + salutation + opening + body + closing + signature block.

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Common emailing mistakes (with the lecture’s guidance)

1. Getting lost in the thread

   • Reply chains can cause confusion, especially when multiple people are involved.
   • The conversation may drift away from the original topic.
   • Recommendation:
     • Keep one conversation per email.
     • Don’t let threads “branch out” into unrelated topics.

2. Misleading or unhelpful subject lines

   • Subject lines may not match what the email actually contains.
   • Recommendation:
     • Be direct and accurate.
     • Ensure the subject line clearly hints at the email’s main point.

3. Misusing urgency (“emergency/urgent”)

   • Recommendation: Only use terms like “urgent” or “emergency” when they are truly accurate.
   • Overuse leads to loss of credibility (“emailer who cried emergency”).

4. Informal addressing

   • “Hey” or overly casual greetings can reduce professionalism.
   • Recommendation:
     • Use appropriate honorifics/titles when known (e.g., “Doctor”).
     • Avoid “hey” if unsure; when uncertain, err on the side of formality.

5. Lengthy messages with poor organization

   • People skim—key information can get missed.
   • Recommendation:
     • Prefer short paragraphs.
     • Keep messages concise.
     • Use only one subject per paragraph.
     • Use short paragraphs and limit each to a couple sentences.

6. Tone errors (email can read harsher than intended)

   • Without voice cues, wording may come across overly harsh or too serious.
   • Recommendation: Choose words carefully to avoid unintended tone.

7. Reply-all mistakes

   • Recommendation:
     • Double-check you’re replying to the correct recipient.
     • Avoid accidentally replying to everyone or a list serve.
   • Lecturer’s safety method (described personally): Forward the original message to yourself, then reply only to the intended person if concerned.

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Smart email practices (detailed best practices list)

1. Be concise; avoid wordiness

   • “Say what you mean” and “mean what you say.”

2. Wait before responding in anger

   • If you receive an email you dislike:
     • Write your reply (with the recipient removed) so you don’t accidentally send.
     • Save it and wait at least a few hours or up to a day.
   • Goal: prevent saying things you didn’t mean or can’t take back.

3. Don’t use email to avoid direct contact

   • If a real person-to-person conversation is needed, have it.
   • Use email for convenience—especially when the conversation can’t happen in person.

4. Be careful with cultural references and humor

   • Humor and jokes may be misconstrued across cultures.
   • Recommendation: Keep emails straightforward and direct; avoid jokes.

5. Use a reader-friendly format

   • Use clean, readable fonts (not tiny).
   • Organize information with:
     • clear introduction
     • short body with key points (headings/bullets)
     • clear closing stating what’s required
   • Target reader comprehension and easy scanning.

6. Use a professional tone; avoid slang

   • Email is a professional record at work.
   • Your inbox “belongs” to the workplace context, not just you personally.
   • Avoid casual texting-style language; use full sentences unless bulleting.

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Basic professional email template / structure (methodology)

• Subject line

  • Sum up the main point clearly.
  • Should give a hint of what the recipient will read.
  • Avoid misleading subject lines.

• Salutation (greeting)

  • Be polite and match the relationship/title.
  • Examples mentioned:
    • “Dear Doctor …”
    • “Dear Mister …”
  • Avoid overly casual greetings like “hey.”
  • When unsure, be more formal.

• Opening

  • State the purpose directly.
  • Do not bury the lead.
  • Quick and clear reason for writing.

• Body

  • Organize for scanning:
    • bullets and/or headings
    • short paragraphs
  • Keep the message from becoming a “word wall” (not a single large blob).

• Closing

  • Clearly request action / next steps.
  • Include:
    • what you need the recipient to do
    • deadlines/timelines (if any)
  • The lecturer recommends bolding the required action so it’s hard to miss.

• Signature

  • Use a polite, professional signature block.

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Example comparison: what’s wrong vs. what’s right

“Wrong” email (structure and tone issues highlighted)

• Overly casual greeting (e.g., “hey boss man”).
• One large unstructured paragraph (“blobby”).
• Subject line problems (unclear/weird/inaccurate).
• No sign-off or closing; doesn’t follow the taught template.
• General issues include rambling and missing structural responsibility.

“Right” email (what works)

• Clear subject line: includes the purpose (resignation) and a relevant date.
• Opening quickly states the purpose.
• Body provides explanation while maintaining professionalism.
• Includes a polite closing and appropriate professional sign-off.

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Work-email responsibility and practical cautions

• Representation: Your email represents the company/workplace; assume it’s tied to your organization.
• Privacy/ownership: Nothing in a work email is “entirely yours.”
• Attachments and sending errors:
  • Check autocorrect.
  • Proof attachments and ensure the correct content is attached (not missing or wrong files).
• Proof and use safety buffers:
  • Use email settings to delay sending (e.g., 30–60 seconds) so you can cancel to fix typos or add missing attachments.

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“SMART” approach applied to emails

The lecturer adapts the SMART acronym (commonly used for goals) for email clarity:

• Specific: Message is clearly contained and focused.
• Measurable: Can the recipient reasonably “measure” what success looks like within the email?
• Attainable: Is the requested task doable by the recipient?
• Realistic: Is it realistic for the recipient to complete?
• Time-bound: Include a timeline/deadline as appropriate.

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How to approach the assignment (Part 1 of the Great Communicator Packet)

Step 1: Build a detailed scenario

• The components of the assignment are intentionally vague; students must supply details.
• Choose:
  • a real workplace scenario, or
  • a future/dream workplace if appropriate.
• Scenario example given by lecturer:
  • You are a boss/supervisor reaching out to a subordinate struggling and needing help.
• Required scenario details:
  • performance markers the employee has been missing
  • what went wrong and why (these details drive the type of feedback and solutions you write)

Step 2: Maintain the right supervisory intention

• Core goal: help the person succeed
• Also consider impact on:
  • the team
  • the business
• Approach should be constructive, not punitive.

Step 3: Make feedback concrete, specific, and considerate

• Concrete observations:
  • What happened
  • When it happened
  • Why it’s an issue
• Consideration of possible factors:
  • Potential societal/cultural factors
  • Personal circumstances outside work that might contribute (examples mentioned):
    • single parent responsibilities
    • caring for an elderly parent
    • school commitments
    • health issues

Step 4: Provide resources and assistance

• Treat managers as “coaches.”
• Include support/resources that help the employee get back on track.

Step 5: Write the email using the lecture’s email principles

• Pay attention to:
  • subject line
  • salutation
  • organization and paragraphing
  • closing and sign-off
• Avoid “one big blobby paragraph.”
• Suggested length: 350–650 words
  • Rationale: documenting an issue and proposing solutions/resources often requires enough detail.

Step 6: Create a professional signature block

• The lecturer recommends using freely available online tools rather than paying for one.

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Speakers / sources featured

• Instructor/Lecturer (unnamed): The sole speaker delivering the lecture, presenting examples, templates, and assignment guidance.