The document outlines 8 axioms for effective email communication:
1. An email should have one clear subject.
2. Emails should be simple to respond to and dismiss when completed.
3. New subjects should be used when conversations change topics.
4. Suggest meeting times directly in initial emails and include assistants.
5. Make additional requested actions outside the norm as easy as possible.
6. Clarify required actions if an email contains a lot of information.
7. Short emails and responses are acceptable.
8. Consider using emoticons to convey tone since it's hard via email alone.
9. Axiom #3:
When an email
“conversation” takes a
U-turn into new territory, a
new subject line is in
order.
10. 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?
11. Axiom #4:
Need to arrange for an in-
person meeting? Suggest
several possible meeting
times in the first email
communication.
12. If the person has a secretary, include them in the meeting request
13. If there are several people involved,
use a Doodle.
14. 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.
23. 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.
31. by Maria H. Andersen
Learning Futurist
The LIFT Institute
Muskegon Community College
@busynessgirl
TeachingCollegeMath.com
32. Handouts can be found at:
http://bit.ly/axiomsonly
http://bit.ly/emhandout
Please feel free to
download, modify, share, and
give this presentation as long
as you include the author slide.