Email is more than 40 years old.Texting will turn

20 this year.

Reply AllForgotten attachmentsSending to “the wrong

Bob”Spelling and GrammarWeird formatting errors

Those are (for the most part)

the digital “oopsies”typos of the email

world

What really paralyzes us

(and makes us dread that inbox)

are emails that can’t be easily processed.

The “kitchen sink” email:

Axiom #1:An email should have one clear subject.

Axiom #2:Emails should be

simple to respond to and to dismiss when

completed.

Axiom #3:When an email

“conversation” takes a U-turn into new

territory, a new subject line is in order.

When you forward this to 20 of your closest friends, do you really want to accidentally include a sensitive conversation about a student issue by accident?

Axiom #4:Need to arrange for an

in-person meeting? Suggest several

possible meeting times in the first email communication.

If the person has a secretary, include them in the meeting request.

If there are several people involved, use a Doodle.

Axiom #5:If you want the

recipient to take additional action

outside their normal routine, make it as easy as possible for

them to do so.

The “involves more work than necessary” email:

Don’t place the text of the message within an attached document if it can be pasted into the body of the email.

Include an easy-to-share blurb and link to website for more information for events, in particular.

Don’t link to files on drives that are only available on-site.

(Smartphones, working from home)

Axiom #6:If the message contains a lot of information, make required actions clear. Use phrasing like “What I need from you is …”

Axiom #7:There’s nothing wrong with a short email message or response – don’t take offense when you get one.

Axiom #8:

(and this will be shocking)

Axiom #8:Because it’s difficult to read voice inflection, facial expressions, or body language from an email, consider using emoticons or words to convey these emotions.

Are you kidding me? ;-)

Are you kidding me? :-(

Are you kidding me? <fuming>

Are you kidding me? <hug>

Eight AxiomsOne Manifesto

(I’m hoping now for something like a rousing “Amen!”)

And, the next time you send an email,

make sure that we don’t have to reply with…

Are you kidding me? <sigh>

by Maria H. AndersenLearning FuturistThe LIFT Institute

Muskegon Community College

@busynessgirlTeachingCollegeMath.co

m

Handouts can be found at:http://bit.ly/axiomsonlyhttp://bit.ly/emhandout

Please feel free to download, modify, share, and give this presentation as long as you include the

author slide.