I have written, here in my blog and in my book (referenced below), about using personal email at work. The article below has some nice points. It should also be noted that work email is the company's property and can be inspected at will. In short there is no 4th amendment right of privacy.
It is always in your best interest not to make a habit of it!
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April 1, 2015 // 11:00 AM
The Do’s and Don’ts for Sending Email at Work
Written by Tom Burgess from hubspot.com
**Sets alarm for 6am, checks email,
goes to bed**
**Wakes up to sound of alarm, turns off
alarm, checks email**
Does this routine sound familiar? I
can’t be the only one that is nearly attached at the hip to my phone, checking
email constantly. Email has been arguably the #1 form of communication for
business since the early 2000’s. With email being a key piece in the way we
communicate, there are certain “do’s” and “don’ts” we should be following while
emailing at work:
The DO's of Email at Work...
DO: Personalize
No matter whether it’s an internal
email to your best friend co-worker or a message full of important
information to a client, you should always get in the habit of addressing them
by first name, or “Mr./Mrs. So-and-so.” A good rule of thumb, address this
person as you would address them in conversation.
DO: Adapt
By this I mean know whom your email
recipient is. Study past emails this person has sent, recognize their tone or
writing style and adapt to that. If they are short and straight to the point,
it may mean they are extremely busy, so try and be concise in your response
emails.
DO: Always Check Before Clicking Send
This could be the ultimate must “do”
when emailing. One of the worst feelings is clicking send and realizing you
missed something, didn’t attach a document, or misspelled something (we’re all
guilty of this). Rule of thumb is not to include the email address in the send
line until you’ve proofed.
DO: Keep Messages Short
There’s no point in dragging an email
with fluff, get straight to the point. Reading a novel of an email is not time
effective for the both sender and receiver. And to that, I will keep this point
short… as to prove a point!
DO: Keep Your Inbox Clean
I know you are out there, the person
with triple digit (or worse) numbers of unopened emails in your inbox. When I
think of a scary movie being set around a work environment, seeing hundreds of
unopened emails would make me sink into the couch and cover my eyes with a
blanket. Clean your
inbox, break up folders for different clients, and solve any
confusion you may have from seeing big numbers next to your inbox button.
DO: Check Your Email on YOUR Time
Meaning don’t get caught checking your
email every few minutes. One of the biggest momentum killers is getting in the
habit of checking your email frequently, pausing what you may be doing, thus
making you reset your focus.
At Revenue River
Marketing, we aim to check our email 3-4 times a day (unless of
course it is time sensitive), which truly helps us stay engaged with content
creation and client deliverables.
DO: Remember Some Things are Safer Kept Private
“Oh, you just got back from your
buddies bachelor party in Las Vegas? Oh, you want to email me those pictures
that should never surface more than once in your life?” Probably NOT a good
idea, especially through company email.
This isn’t a new found rule either;
it’s been a well-known rule for a while. Not to condone the act, but this is
why we have personal emails, people.
DO: Use Skype (or
Other Chat App) for the Excess Conversations
A very common instant messaging tool
that every company should use in the office is Skype. Not to beat a dead horse, because I
am sure most companies use some form of instant messaging for in-office
conversation, but the idea of keeping your work email separate from a more laid
back conversation is a game changer.
Don’t get me wrong, the reason to use
an instant messaging tool is still work driven, but we are all human and
sometimes that means having a non-work related conversation. This also helps
cut down your inbox clutter by sending what you could say over messaging in an
email…it’s a win-win scenario if you ask me. (PS – You can use emoticons in
Skype and I won’t be mad! Honest!)
The DON'Ts of
Email at Work...
DON’T: Abbrv8… I Mean, Abbreviate
You had to know this one was coming.
Although we aren’t ranking these “do’s” and “don’ts”, this one is very near the
top of the list. Remember, you are emailing in a professional setting, so terms
like “thx” and “lol” or “c u @ wrk l8r” should never cross your mind when
emailing at work (just typing that last one makes me cringe). Here’s a helpful
resource to make sure abbreviations NEVER happen: The Slang Translator
DON’T: !!!!!!!!!
Ah yes, another one that gives me
chills every time I see it… the exclamation
point. Because I am a visual person, I see the overuse of
exclamation points, or the dreaded “caps lock email” as yelling, as most people
might. The exclamation point can give false expectation or raised hope when
used in the wrong context. There is a right time for an exclamation, but before
you think about holding your fingers down on the “Shift” “1” keys, think about
the context in which your email may be received.
DON’T: :) or :(
This may just be me, but does anyone
else get a little cringe when you see a smiley/sad face emoticon? In a
professional setting, much like abbreviating, it gives off the vibe of being
too lax or laid back. Keep it professional, leave out the emoticons.
DON’T: Send the
One Word “Okay” or “Thanks” Response
Not to counter the point above, but
keeping messages short is ideal, sending the dreaded, non-descriptive one word
email is not so ideal. Sending content for edits or emails that require a
detailed answer can’t be answered with a simple “okay”, give the sender the
courtesy of the answer or closure they need, as to not drag on the email chain
with answers that don’t clarify what is being asked.
DON’T: Use the Reply All Button at Will
There comes a time in every marketer’s
life, where they realize that the “reply all”
button isn’t always necessary. This continues the discussion of the unnecessary
email chain. If there are multiple people on an email chain, yet you need to
reply to just one or two, don’t be afraid to do so…in fact, do so!
DON’T: Email
if You’re Burnt Out
It’s 11:30am, almost lunch time, you
can hear your stomach yelling your name for food. Or better yet, you just
surfaced from your computer screen after writing several blog posts for all of
your clients; your eyes are glazed over. But you want to send a work email that
requires serious thought and inquiry…STOP!
Take a deep breathe, stand up, take a
lap or grab some water. There are so many instances where an important email
should wait based on your patience, stress level, etc. It may sound funny, but
you should know when you are sane enough to send a clear and thought out email
of significance.
DON’T: Mobile Email Signatures
I’ve seen this one too many times, and
I just can’t find any humor or use for the “sent from my iPhone, please excuse
any typos” or “sent with my thumbs” email signature. Especially when connecting
in a business setting, it gives a sense of cheapening the importance of some
emails that may come through. Be consistent, set your mobile email signature to
the same business signature you use when at your computer.
The Bottom Line
It’s tough to follow proper etiquette
when emailing at work, I have broken a few of these rules multiple times. At
the same time, there are a few of these tips that really should never show up
in a professional email, no matter how laid back the company tone is.
Next time you find yourself breaking
one of these rules, take a step back from the keyboard, and think, “What would
Tom Burgess do?”
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In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” will be published soon follow by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:
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If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio Additionally, I provide content for an online newsletter via paper.li. I have also established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and Yahoo. I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. Further, I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and have been a contributor to numerous blogs and publications.
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