The Do’s and Don'ts of emails

Before hitting the "send" button, there are a few things to consider:

Ø
Is my email too long?
Try to keep the email to about one page so that readers can read the entire mail without scrolling. Do spell out purpose of the email within the first paragraph.

Ø
Did I include the right attachment?
Title the document that you are attaching in a way that is easy for the recipient to find once he or she downloads it. Before sending attachment of large file size, be sure you know your recipient’s mailbox capacity to avoid returned emails.

Ø
Am I saying it right?
For each new subject email, it serves no harm to write some greetings! However, if you are responding to emails over the same topic (for example, a meeting day and time), greetings can then be excluded.
In your subject line, write an appropriate and specific subject that lets the recipient know what to expect.

Ø
Would it be better if I don't send the email?
Some issues, if dealt with through emails, may result in serious consequences should misinterpretation occurs. Among some of these issues are:

l
Disciplinary action

l
Conflicts about personal information

l
Concerns about fellow colleagues

l
Complaints

When a conflict arises, try to end it by a short and simple written response first. If it does not work, it maybe better to deal with the unpleasant situation by talking or meeting in person.

What is a Memo?

Memo can be used as a form of communication to solve problems within a company. In writing a memo, one should clearly state his/her purpose at the beginning, and request the action he/she wants at the end.

Planning for a memo

Depending on the purpose of your memo, there are several ways to prepare it:

1.
To convey routine information or relaying news, consider approaching your memo through direct plan. It starts out by stating the most important points, and moves to supporting details.

2.
When you need to arouse interests in your readers, the indirect plan maybe used. It makes an appeal or spews out evidence first and arrives at a conclusion/action to be taken based on these facts.