Happy birthday, SafetyXChange. Thanks for letting me do the honors on your third. Here's my attempt at a segue: Your members get their daily SafetyXChange newsletter via email. So today, I'd like to talk about email. Most email is really me-mail. In just the past 24 hours, how many of you have uttered the phrase, "I have to check my email"? It's all about us. But with email costing us more than $308 billion in lost productivity, it might be time for a shift.

Are You Part of the Problem?

Research shows that we spend about 40% of our day on email. The common perception is that at least one-third of this time is wasted. We don't do our email as efficiently as we should. Lack of clarity makes the email harder to respond to. Overuse of the "cc" and "reply to all" keys results in generating too much volume. With busy professionals sending and receiving over 18,000 messages annually, the sooner we rethink things, the better.

Are you part of the problem? How many of the following statements do you agree with?

How to Be Part of the Solution

If you agree with at least three of these statements, you would be well advised to hone your email skills. Doing so will save you time and stress. Here are 12 tips:

1. Send We-Mail

Think not just of what you're saying but how your message will be received. Your recipients are busy. What would most help them take action? Such a reorientation is the difference between me-mail and we-mail.

2. Send Fewer Messages

For every five emails you send, you can expect to get three back. Send less email and you will receive less email. Try cutting back on just one in five messages at first.

3. Send to Action-Takers Only

Try to be more efficient in your choice of recipients. Target your emails, don't spray them. Rid yourself of the habit of automatically reaching for the "cc" or "reply to all" key.

4. Send Complete Emails

Don't send incomplete emails that cause others to have to send you multiple emails to clarify what you mean.

5. Use Clearer Subject Lines

Clarify why you're sending the email in the subject line. Use a descriptive title such as delivery, confirmed or request, and dates so people instantly know why the email is being sent and what you want them to do with it.

6. Put the Action Up-Front

The brain remembers what it sees first. People don't read email; they scan it for pertinent information. So avoid rambling and don't force recipients to go through a wall of words to get your message.

7. Be Clear and Concise

State your key points or background information with bullets or numbers.

8. Use an Auto Signature

Signing your email with your name and no way to contact you causes others to have to take one more step to find you.

9. Be Aware of the Impact on Your Professional Image

You are judged by how you communicate. Thus, clear, concise and organized email can help your image; lack thereof can harm it.

10. Check Email on Your Own Schedule

It takes 64 seconds to recover the flow of your work when interrupted. Don't let your email manage your priority list by checking and responding to email every time it comes in or on a 24/7 basis.

11. Coach Others

It's a mistake to think that others might be offended by you giving them advice on how to do email.

12. Use the Best Communication Channel

Email isn't always the best channel for communication. Some conversations have to be held in person or on the phone, especially if you're trying to build a relationship with the person.

Conclusion

It takes time and determination to build effective email habits. So be patient and stay the course and eventually you'll reap the rewards.

Wishing you career success,
Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet, www.execunet.com

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MEMBER REPLY

I read your article on "The 3 Fastest Ways to Get Your Resume Chucked" and I disagree with number 1, not using the same language from the job posting. In these days of information technology, you must use "key words" to get your resume noticed. This is the same way that search engines such as Google operate. I design my cover letters and resumes to use key words and select the same language from the job posting and I've gotten many responses, including jobs posted on CareerBuilder.

F. Schmitt

EMAIL BLUNDERS

The "SEND" key: A loaded weapon

4 War Stories

By Glenn Demby

If you're lucky, that email faux-pas you make will cause you embarrassment; if you're unlucky, it will cost you your job. Here are some of the gems about email mistakes making the rounds on the internet. These stories may or may not be true. But they all illustrate what can easily happen in a world in which more than 2 million emails are sent every second of the day.

The Salary Circulator

A business manager accidentally sent details of his employees' salaries on a company group email. But his response was ingenious. He set off the fire alarm and went around the office manually deleting the message from each employee's inbox after the office was evacuated.

The 'To:' Box to Infinity

One company included 24,000 addresses in the "To" box of its email forcing recipients to scroll through page after page to reach the body of the message.

The Walls Have Ears

This one really happened. One of our SafetyXChange authors was interviewing a source for his story. The source saw the final draft and called in with some last minute comments. The author sent Catherine a note complaining that the source was a pain in the hind quarters. He used the "Reply All" key, forgetting that the source was one of the "All." So the source read the remark and was none too pleased. Luckily, Catherine was able to work her magic and smooth things over.

The Forgetful Forwarder

Two buddies, we'll call them Tom and Dick, were having a conversation about a mutual friend whom we'll call Harry. Tom referred to Harry's wife, Suzie, as a female dog - although not quite in those words. The thread continued and Tom and Dick decided to meet up at a movie or ballgame and invite Harry. Dick forwarded the entire thread-including Tom's unflattering remark about Suzie - to Harry.

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR EMAIL BLUNDERS

Got a good war story? Tell us about it. glennd@bongarde.com. Unless you say otherwise, we won't list your name or company.

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