I recently received a note from a colleague on preferred email communication with a new boss. Thought it was worth passing along – minor elements are changed to protect identities and make it flow …
[tags] email, etiquette, work, john koetsier [/tags]The purpose of this note is to give you a heads up on written communications by email. I have found that emails with opening lines that clearly explain the purpose of our communication work best. For example:
- the purpose of this email is to recommend … OR …
- to provide you with an update
- to get your approval for
- to share an idea
- etc, etc.
That opening line should then be followed up with either background information, tightly crafted explanation, and should conclude with a sense of next steps (if applicable).
For example:
- if you support the recommendation, I will organize a meeting/communicate this to appropriate parties … OR …
- once I have received your approval I will process the request/follow up with
Trusting this makes sense. Offered in the spirit of collegiality.
When I was in the Army, we called this the “bottom line up front.”