email

How to Write a Great Out-of-Office Email Message

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Writing_Email_Message

When you’re going to be away from your desk for an extended period of time during regular business hours (and you won’t be responding to emails), you should set up an out-of-office message. An out-of-office message is an auto-reply email that lets people know that you’re away. They help to keep people informed, and ensure that things run smoothly in your absence.

But what should you actually say in your out-of-office message? How much information should you provide? Should you try to be funny? Should you keep it formal? There are a lot of things to consider!

If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to write an out-of-office message, here are a few tips:

  • There are basically only two pieces of information that you need to include. First, you should clearly indicate the dates when you’ll be gone. Second, you should provide the name and contact information for someone who can provide assistance if it’s an urgent matter.
  • In addition to presenting the essential information, feel free to add a brief, friendly message like “Thanks for your message,” or “Looking forward to talking to you soon.”
  • Don’t try to be funny. Remember that this email is going to be sent to lots of random people, and you don’t know how they might react to your type of humor. Keep it brief and formal.
  • Don’t disclose too much information. It’s not necessary to go into detail about why you’ll be out of the office. You can write a few words about it, if you’d like (for example, “I have jury duty” or “I’m on sabbatical”). But it’s actually not necessary to provide any information at all.
  • Don’t make promises that you won’t be able to keep. For instance, don’t promise to get back to the person “right away” as soon as you return to the office. You might not be able to manage it!

Here’s an example of a good out-of-office message. Feel free to use it!

Thank you for your email! I’m currently out of the office, and will be back on [date]. I’ll reply to your email as soon as possible after my return. If this is an urgent matter, please contact [coworker’s name and job title] at [coworker’s email address or phone number].

Best, [your name]

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Ellis, M. (2021, July 30). How to write an effective out-of-office message. Grammarly. Retrieved from: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-out-of-office-message/

How to Ask a Team Member to Do Something

By in Communication Tags: ,

Happy_Email

If you’re a manager, it may be common practice for you to email one of your team members and say “I need you to do this task/project.” But according to author Monica Torres, this isn’t the best approach. When you say “I need you to do this task,” it can come across as abrupt. In addition, you’re not allowing the other person to offer opinions or suggestions. You’re basically saying “just do it,” and you’re not giving the other person the opportunity to provide feedback.

And feedback is actually a very valuable thing! Yes, you need a certain task to be completed. But if you’re open to feedback, you might learn that there’s a better, more effective approach to getting the work done.

So what should you say instead? Here are two options:

  • “I’d like you to do this task/project. What do you think?”
  • “Here is the situation/problem that needs to be addressed. What do you think we should do? Can you help with this?”

According to Torres, these statements will make your team members feel respected. They’ll realize that their opinions matter, and they’ll be encouraged to share whatever helpful information they might have. In addition, they’ll feel free to ask questions and get clarification about what needs to be done.

Also, make sure to tell your team members why something needs to be done and when it needs to be completed. This will help them to feel included in the effort and allow them to prioritize their tasks appropriately.

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Torres, M. (2021, February 19). Why you shouldn’t say ‘I need you to… ‘ at work. HuffPost. Retrieved from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-need-you-to-at-work_l_6026d622c5b6591becd88f13

The Most Annoying Things You Can Write in an Email

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Annoying_Email

In 2018, Adobe conducted an interesting survey. They asked 1,001 people what they thought were the most annoying phrases used in work emails. Here are the results:

  • “Not sure if you saw my last email” – 25%
  • “Per my last email…” – 13%
  • “Per our conversation…” – 11%
  • “Any update on this?” – 11%
  • “Sorry for the double email” – 10%
  • “Please advise” – 9%
  • “As previously stated…” – 9%
  • “As discussed…” – 6%
  • “Re-attaching for convenience” – 6%

Most of these phrases aren’t just annoying. They’re passive-aggressive. (Especially the top four phrases.) They convey anger. And they can cause friction to develop between coworkers.  

If you ever feel tempted to use phrases like these, stop yourself. I know you might be feeling frustrated, and you want to get your work done. But it’s also important to maintain a good, solid working relationship with your colleagues. So instead of using these types of phrases, try taking a friendlier approach. Author Avery Blank suggests you do the following:

  • Restate the issue – Instead of writing something like “per my last email,” just restate your question. Don’t even refer to the fact that you’ve emailed about it before.
  • Add some valuable information – After restating your question, add a few additional pieces of information. This will serve as a justification for emailing a second time. And your coworker will benefit from being updated and fully informed!
  • Give your coworker a call – If you still don’t get a response, pick up the phone and give your coworker a call. You’ll get the information you need, and you’ll also have the chance to connect with your coworker. Not only will you be getting your work done, you’ll also have the opportunity to build and strengthen your relationship.

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Blank, A. (2018, September 4). 9 passive aggressive phrases to avoid in email (and what to do instead). Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/averyblank/2018/09/04/9-passive-aggressive-phrases-to-avoid-in-email-and-what-to-do-instead/#36655f36126a

What to Do When Your Coworker Ignores Your Email

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Asian woman thinking hard concerned about online problem.

Imagine that you need your coworker to do something for you – like run a report or review a document. You email your coworker with your request. And then… nothing. No response. You wait and wait, but your coworker never gets back to you and never does that thing that you need him or her to do. We’ve all been there. And it’s frustrating.

So what should you do if you find yourself in this situation? How can you get the help you need without being annoying? Author Dana Hundley has a few suggestions.

Send an effective follow-up email

You could try sending your coworker another email. And although you might be feeling frustrated, you should still make sure that your follow-up email is friendly, clear, and concise. Briefly remind your coworker about what you need from him or her. Set a deadline. And be nice!

For example, you might write: “I just wanted to check back with you about the article I sent you. I would really appreciate it if you could review it for me by close of business tomorrow. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks very much!”

Give your coworker a call

Talking to your coworker on the phone will get you a quicker response than an email. Emails can get glossed over and forgotten. But if you call your coworker on the phone, that should help to get things moving.

If your coworker answers the phone, clearly explain what you need, and remember to use a friendly tone. If your coworker doesn’t pick up the phone, leave a concise message. Remind your coworker about what you need from him or her, encourage your coworker to call you back, and tell your coworker that you’ll send a follow-up email. Then send a follow-up email like the one presented above.

Talk to your coworker in person

One of the best ways to ensure that you’ll get the results you need is to talk to your coworker in person. So if possible, stop by your coworker’s office and make your request. Be friendly and positive. (Remember that your coworker is probably busy and you’re asking for his or her help!) And don’t linger too long. Respect your coworker’s time and keep your conversation brief.

So remember… Be clear. Be concise. Be friendly. Be persistent. And you’ll most likely get the help that you need. Good luck!

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Hundley, D. (n.d.). 5 better ways to follow up than saying “per my last email.” The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/better-ways-to-follow-up-than-per-my-last-email

Why the Word “OK” Can Sound Aggressive

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Confused young woman designer sitting in office working using mobile phone at night.

“OK” is one of the most frequently used words in the English language. We say it all the time. And in spoken conversations, it’s a perfectly good word to use. If you stopped by your coworker’s office and asked him or her for a favor, and your coworker responded by saying “OK,” that would be a very pleasant and agreeable exchange.

But the word “OK” can take on a whole different tone when it’s used in an instant message or email. Once again, let’s imagine that you ask your coworker for a favor. But this time, you do it in an email rather than in person. Your coworker emails back with just one word – “OK.” Now the response doesn’t seem all that friendly. It seems curt, and maybe even angry and aggressive.

Author Monica Torres investigated why the word “OK” feels so different in written conversation. And she found that it may be less about the actual word and more about the brevity of the response. When we’re talking to someone face-to-face and that person says “OK,” he or she often includes a nod or a smile. That makes the word seem friendly. But in a text or email, a simple “OK” doesn’t tell us anything about the person’s mood or emotions. Maybe the person is busy and only had time for a quick one-word response. Or maybe the person is frustrated and annoyed by the favor that you’ve requested. There’s no way to know!

So if you want to reply with an “OK” but you don’t want there to be any misconceptions, what should you do? Torres suggests that you simply add a few words to your response. Saying “OK, sounds good” or “OK, great” sounds friendly. Even adding an exclamation point to the end of your “OK” is probably enough to make it a positive response. Got it? OK!

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Torres, M. (2019, February 12). Why replying ‘OK’ in work chats sounds so aggressive, according to an internet linguist. HuffPost. Retrieved from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/okay-ok-k-workplace-language_l_5c619182e4b0910c63f35750

What to Do When You Can’t Get a Response to Your Email

By in Learning Tags: ,

Email_Stress

Have you ever emailed a question or request to a colleague, only to get no response? It’s kind of hard to know what to do! You need the issue to be addressed – but at the same time, you don’t want to keep harassing the person and come across as an annoying pest.

I had this happen to me recently. I needed someone in another department to help me out with a project I was working on. I emailed my request and got no response. Time passed and I started to feel a little panicked. (I had a deadline to meet.) So I emailed again. And once again, there was no response.

Now to be fair, the colleagues that I was emailing were very busy people. And I suspect that my request was not a simple one. But I still couldn’t help feeling frustrated and powerless. I wasn’t sure how to proceed. How can you get people to respond to an email when they’re really busy and you’re probably not their top priority?

Author Ashley Corbert has a few suggestions…

  • Make sure your initial email is clear, concise, and amiable – Don’t write an epic email with multiple lengthy paragraphs of text. Keep it brief and be very clear about what you need from the other person. And be nice! Your request will probably take a certain amount of time and effort, so make sure your email has a warm and friendly tone.
  • Follow up – If you don’t get a response to your first email, it’s time to send another email. Re-send your original email, but include a new line of text that reminds the person about your original request. This email can sometimes be tricky to write, because you don’t want to come across as annoying. Just keep it brief and friendly, and you should be OK.
  • Call the person – If it’s been a couple days since you sent your follow-up email and you still haven’t gotten a response, try to call the person. If you can reach the person, you’re all set! If you can’t reach the person, leave a brief, friendly voicemail about your request.
  • Get your boss involved – If you’ve left a voicemail, and you STILL get no response, you might want to consider getting your boss involved. You could re-send your original email again, include a new, friendly line of text restating your request, and cc your boss. This might spur the person into action. But be warned – you do run to risk of angering your colleague.
  • Find additional support – Another option is to talk to someone who knows the person that you’re trying to contact and has a certain amount of influence over that person. Explain your situation (and be very careful not to be angry or accusatory). This influential individual might be able to push the person to finally respond to your request.

 

Corbert, A. (n.d.). Get an answer already! How to deal with people who won’t respond. The Muse. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/get-an-answer-already-how-to-deal-with-people-who-wont-respond

 

Emailing Coworkers – Is It OK to Joke Around?

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Laughing_at_email_joke

We all use email to communicate with our coworkers. It’s so convenient! It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t require you to leave your office or pick up the phone.

And if you’ve been working in a certain office for a while, your emails have probably gotten a little informal. You might include an occasional smiley face. You might even be inspired to include a joke or two. But should you? Is it OK to joke around in your emails?

The answer really depends on five things:

  1. How well do you know the person you’re emailing? If you have a close relationship with the person, then a joke is probably OK. If you’re less familiar with the person (and you’re not entirely sure how the joke will be received), then it’s not a good idea.
  2. Would the person you’re emailing send you a similar joke? If so, then your joke is probably fine. If not, you should leave it out.
  3. Is your joke even slightly inappropriate? If so, don’t email it. It could end up being forwarded to someone who feels offended by what you wrote. And that could ultimately cost you your job. It’s definitely not worth it!
  4. Would your boss be upset if he or she read your joke? If so, don’t send it to anyone.
  5. Are you making light of a serious topic? If something upsetting has happened at the office or you have difficult news to convey, a joke might not be appropriate. When you’re having a difficult conversation, it’s usually best to do so in a serious manner.

 

McCord, S. (n.d.). 6 quick questions to ask yourself on that “funny” email before you hit send. The Muse. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/6-quick-questions-to-ask-yourself-on-that-funny-email-before-you-hit-send?ref=recommended

How to Get Coworkers to Reply to Your Emails

By in Communication Tags:

No_Email_Response

Do you sometimes have trouble getting your coworkers to reply to your emails? Do you spend a lot of time writing the perfect message only to be met with no response?

If you experience this problem, you might be able to fix it by making a few minor adjustments to the way you write your emails. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Make sure you’re not asking the impossible – If you email one of your coworkers at 11:00 a.m. and ask her to review a 50-page document before lunch, you might be asking too much. She might already be busy with another project and not have the time. Or, even if she has the time, it might not be possible to review such a long document in a couple hours. So as a result, she might just ignore your email altogether. To avoid getting this type of passive-aggressive response, make sure that you’re reasonable in your requests.
  • Be sure to indicate that you want a response – If you send a coworker an email that says, “Here’s that report you asked for,” it’s not clear whether a response is needed. Your coworker might send back a quick “thank you,” or he might not respond at all. If you want some sort of feedback, make sure to tell the person what you need.
  • If you’re including a bunch of people on an email, make sure to explain why – I think the more people you include on an email, the less likely it is that you’ll get a response. Still, if you feel the need to include a bunch of people, make sure to tell them why they were included and what you’d like them to do. Get specific! (For instance, tell George that you want him to edit the document and tell Becky that you want her to add a graphic.)
  • Make sure to include a due date – Even if you are very clear about what you expect from a coworker, you still need to include a due date. Otherwise, your email will probably get pushed to the bottom of your coworker’s to-do list, and may be forgotten entirely.
  • Write clearly – If you’re in a rush, it’s sometimes hard to write in complete sentences. But try not to be too cryptic! If your email is confusing, your coworkers may not know how to respond or what you expect from them.

 

Maier, J. (n.d.). 5 reasons I almost responded to your email, but didn’t. The Muse. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-reasons-i-almost-responded-to-your-email-but-didnt

 

Reading Work Email When You’re Not at Work Is Hazardous to Your Health

By in Living Well Tags: , ,

Reading_Emails_After_Work

Do you feel obligated to check your work email on evenings and weekends? What about when you’re on vacation? If you do, you’re not alone. In many offices, employees feel like they’re supposed to check their work email during off-hours. Employees may not be officially required to check in – but it’s often an unspoken expectation.

It may not seem like that big an imposition. But research suggests that checking your work email during off-hours could have a damaging effect on your health.

In a recent study conducted by researchers at Lehigh, Virginia Tech, and Colorado State universities, it was found that checking work email during off-hours caused feelings of emotional exhaustion and burnout. In fact, study participants indicated that just knowing that they were expected to check their work email – and that there may be one lurking out there – was enough to cause them to feel anxious and unhappy.

So what should you do if you feel like you’re expected to be on call during off-hours? Talk to your boss about whether it’s really necessary for you to be available all the time. Maybe there are certain days when it would be acceptable for you to be off-line and unavailable. Or if it’s necessary for at least one employee to be available all the time, maybe you could create a rotating schedule. This would give you the chance to completely unplug during certain weeknights and weekends.

 

MacMillan, A. (2016, July 28). What being expected to check email after work does to your health. Health. Retrieved from http://www.health.com/mind-body/work-email-health

 

How to Respond to an Email Mix-Up

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NotSureHowToRespond

What should you do if you receive an email that was meant for someone else? And what if that email contains personal or inflammatory information? How should you respond?

Sue Shellenbarger of The Wall Street Journal recommends that you DON’T do the following:

  • Reply to the email with an angry or sarcastic message
  • Gossip about what you learned from the email
  • Complain to your boss

So what should you do? Well, if you know who the email was supposed to be sent to, you could forward it to that person with the message, “I think this email was meant for you.” If you don’t know who the email was supposed to be sent to, respond to the sender by saying, “I think you sent me this email by mistake. I’ve deleted it.” Keep it simple and polite. The sender will appreciate your kindness and discretion!

 

Shellenbarger, S. (2016, August 16). What to do when you get an email that isn’t intended for you. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/what-to-do-when-you-get-an-email-that-isnt-intended-for-you-1471382905

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