Appropriate and Effective Electronic Communication

Customized & Workplace TrainingCity of Portland/Portland Community CollegeFacilitated by George Knox

Some E-Statistics … There are 684 million e-mail users and

1.2 billion e-mail boxes worldwide 76.8 billion messages are sent each day 57% of all e-mail traffic is spam 48% of corporate e-mail traffic is spam

and will grow to 64% in 2008

Source: The Radicati Group, May 2005

Electronic Communications: Overview

Importance of proper e-mail and Internet use

Etiquette: Expectations, problems and solutions

Strategies for success Discussion?

Why is proper e-communication important?

Legal Restrictions and Implications Company Policy Professionalism Effective Communication Functionality

Legal Restrictions and Implications Public Domain The CAN-SPAM Act “Annoying E-mail” –

Cyberstalking/VAWA Fraud (Phishing,

Pharming and Crimeware)

Harassment Non-disclosure Ownership Issues

Liability Issues: Risks “Technical” Liability

– Negligence– Breach of Warranty– “Strict Liability in Tort(e)”

Marketing Liability– “Uniform Commercial Code”– Expressed Warranty of Description

Other Areas of Liability– Privacy– Financial– Employment

Liability Issues: Protections

Accuracy– Check for clear interpretations and findings– Do not suppress knowledge or data– Do not exaggerate claims or data

Ownership– Confirm copyright, trademarks, etc.

Liability Issues: Avoiding Problems Be accurate (factual, precise) Know your audience to minimize risk

– Needs and expectations– Abilities (“reasonable person”)

Document your work– Sources/Citations– Paper trail– Data records– Copies of correspondence

Get approval of your work– “Sign off”– Feedback from peers and target audience

Use waivers/consent forms

Some things to remember … Use of the computer

network is limited by company policy– Business use only– Some personal use

usually permitted– Access may be limited or

terminated– Users may be monitored

and recorded

Some things to remember … Content (e-mails and

attachments) owned by company– Content usually stored or

backed up– Content may be

accessed by officials for business use including disciplinary action/termination

Professionalism/Effectiveness

Poorly written and/or poorly managed e-communication reflects on you and your company’s reputation. It also may hamper your audience’s understanding of your message. Well executed e-communication works better to get your message across.

Functionality

Inappropriate or flawed use of e-mail affects delivery and flow of e-mail, the need for additional resources and time to handle problems, and the willingness of others to open and read e-mail.

Common E-mail Mistakes

Address errors Long messages or attachments Misleading or vague subject lines Inappropriate content Lack of discretion in responses Inappropriate copying and forwarding

Source: John Edwards, “The Six Most Common Mistakes in Sending E-mail”, Bottom Line Business, October 1997.

E-mail Etiquette Problem Areas

Problems can occur in various ways for e-mail senders

Header Info Content Sending, Replying,

Forwarding

Header Info – To: & From:

Problems to avoid: Inaccurate recipient or sender e-mail

addresses (It won’t get there) A long list of multiple recipients “Showing” list of recipients when

inappropriate (especially outside e-mail)

Header Info – To: & From:Good e-mail practices: Proof all e-mail addresses Add commonly used addresses to contact

list/address book Use CC: and BCC: when appropriate Use BCC: or mail merge for mass mailings Consider a listserv for frequent/periodic e-

mail to a long list of recipients Send copy to self or save in Outbox to

confirm recipients

Header Info – Subject:

Problems to avoid: Misleading subject description Vague subject description Informal subject description Long, complex subject description Multiple subjects Misused “Priority” options

Header Info – Subject:

Good e-mail practices: Keep subject description short but informative Use as title/heading for document Keep e-mail focused on one subject Use “Priority” options only when necessary Consider using subject labels, like ACTION,

FYI, RE:, URGENT, etc.

Remember: Unclear subject lines may lead to unread or deleted messages

Header Info – CC: & BCC:

Problems to avoid: Copying without a reason Copying routine messages Copying to inappropriate recipients Using CC: and BCC: interchangeably Failing to copy to self (or to save to

outbox)

Header Info – CC: & BCC:

Good e-mail practices: Copy messages needing action, progress

report or documentation Copy to appropriate recipients Use CC: for recorded copy; use BCC: for

unrecorded copy Keep a copy of sent e-mails

Heading Info: Attachments Only send necessary

attachments (if cannot be sent within e-mail)

If not an MS Office format, check to see if format can be opened

Note attachment and format in e-mail body

Try not to attach large files or multiple files (Upload and e-mail link as alternative)

Content: Meaning, Tone and Style

E-mail feels “conversational”, but it isn’t. Like all business communications, it is purposeful and targets a specific audience. The goal is to send a clear message that is received, understood and acted upon by the receiver.

Content: Meaning

Certain kinds of messages should NOT be sent via e-mail:– Confidential information (usually)– Disciplinary action or performance reviews– Complaints concerning individuals– Negotiations or complex information

These messages should be initially handled by phone or face-to-face to avoid misunderstanding or third party disclosure.

Content: Meaning

Language IssuesAvoid jargon and

acronyms for outside audiences

Be careful of clichés, slang, puns, and sports references for overseas audiences

Write out dates to avoid confusion

Content: Meaning• Quoting in Replies

Only include the entire message or thread of previous postings if needed

Cut and paste relevant parts of previous messages

Do not send a long quote with a short “Me too!” message

Content: Meaning

Practice good business writing– Single topic for each e-mail– Precise, direct language for clarity– Short, well-organized paragraphs for

ease of reading– Clear request for action when

appropriate– Proofread for clarity and effectiveness

Content: Tone

Because e-mail lacks verbal and non-verbal cues, it may convey tone or emotion not intended.

Avoid humor, irony and sarcasmEmoticons ;-) may help some readers, but

are too informal for business documentsDo not use “all caps” as this may be

considered SHOUTING at readers

Content: ToneFlaming: The expression of extreme emotion or

opinion in an e-mail message, usually directed at someone or at a group– Unlike phone or personal conversations, e-

mails may be saved, forwarded, printed– Flaming tends to generate flaming in

response– Flaming may be caused by misinterpreting

meaning or motives not intended by the original sender

– Flaming can affect morale and image

Content: Tone

To avoid flaming:Do not send an immediate responseReread the original messageDraft a response with relevant facts or

evidenceRe-read your response before sendingInstead of responding via e-mail, call or meet

with the sender to “break the cycle”

Content: Style

E-mail readers want a short, easy to read business document so …Include a salutation or use receiver’s name

in first sentenceUse word-wrapSingle-space within paragraphs and double-

space between paragraphsWrite in complete sentencesInclude a signature blockUse stationary only if appropriate/accepted

Content: Style

Make e-mail easy to read and understandPut important points near

beginningUse short paragraphsInclude subheadings and

listsCheck spelling and

grammar

Sending, Replying, Forwarding

E-mail is a “public” posting tool for documents. Once sent, the document cannot be retrieved. This makes proper delivery of e-mail vital to proper e-mail etiquette.

Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want published!

Sending, Replying, Forwarding

When sending e-mail … Reread message and list of recipients

before sending Only send messages to involved or

interested parties Only send broadcast messages when

appropriate and relevant Only use Return Receipt when needed

Sending, Replying, Forwarding

When replying to e-mail … Reread message before sending Confirm e-mail address(es) for reply Only use “Reply to All” when needed Remember that mail list/listserv responses

usually go to all members

Sending, Replying, Forwarding

When forwarding e-mail … Include a short explanation with forward Confirm e-mail address(es) for forward Only forward to interested/involved

parties Consider whether permission to forward

is appropriate or necessary

Sending, Replying, Forwarding

Do NOT send, reply to, or forward:– E-mail containing

inappropriate content– E-mail with attachments

from unknown senders– Attachments that are

executable files (.exe)– Spam, chain letters, virus

hoaxes, etc.

Miscellaneous Tips Use an effective e-mail signature

– Name and contact info– 5-6 lines maximum– Include e-mail address

Use separate e-mail accounts for business and personal correspondence

Keep copies of all important messages sent and received

Use filters to manage e-mail “load”

Summary of Etiquette Guidelines

Keep e-mail messages concise, professional and relevant

Proof your message before sending

Revise and edit as needed

Do not e-mail complex, sensitive or confidential messages

Quote sparingly

Confirm recipients’ interest, involvement, and addresses

Use a clear Subject line Send attachments only

when necessary Use discretion when

replying to e-mail Do not flame Do not send/forward

inappropriate material

E-mail Strategies for Success

Think of P.A.T. before you write– Purpose (What are you trying to say? What

are your desired results?)– Audience (What do they need to receive your

message? What do they want from your document? What are barriers to communication? )

– Technique (Based on my Purpose and the Audience’s needs/wants, how do I best write and deliver my message?)

E-mail Strategies for Success

Compose offline– Write your e-mail message using your word

processing program, then paste into your e-mail

– Avoids hasty messages and accidental sending

– Allows for proofing and editing with easy spell and grammar check

E-mail Strategies for Success

Don’t hurry an e-mail– Leave time to check

recipients, addressesand attachments

– Reread your message for meaning, tone and style

– Run spelling and grammar check

– Make sure it’s “ready to go”

Proofreading Revisited Proof at least twice

– Content (purpose, meaning, accuracy, emphasis, tone)

– Mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, document design)

Mark errors, don’t fix them Organize your approach to proofing

– Proof in “chunks”– Read silently and aloud– Checklist?

Then revise and edit as needed!

E-Communications Resources

Netiquette by Virginia Shea– http://www.albion.com/netiquette

How 11 (Handbook for Office Workers) by Lyn R. Clark, James Leland Clark

Can I FAX You a Thank You Note? by Audrey Glassman

FTC (Federal Trade Commission) SPAM Homepage– http://www.ftc.gov/spam/

Robert Slade’s Guide to Computer Viruses: How to avoid them, how to get rid of them, and how to help by Robert Slade