Just about everyone has complained at some point in time about email. When I speak to large audiences I often poll them to find out what their biggest email pet peeves are. Here are the most popular responses:
1. People who hit “Reply to All” when they should really just hit “Reply”
2. Missing Subject Lines
3. Vague Subject lines such as FYI
4. Rambling emails, written in one long paragraph
5. Being cc’d on too many emails
6. EMAILS TYPED IN ALL CAPS
7. People who overuse the Priority Symbol (!)
8. Receiving too many emails
I’d like to address that last one. My Golden Rule of Email is this: “The more you send, the more you shall receive.”
The next time you are about to respond to an email and you suspect it might create a strand of 6, 7 or 8 emails, pick up the phone and discuss the issue at hand in less than a minute. If necessary, follow up your phone conversation with ONE email, recapping the conversation and decisions that were made.
