"Far too many poor decisions rest on knee-jerk responses. Don't let fast emails become the enemy of good decisions."
This is some of the advice in Dianna Booher's new book, "Faster, Fewer, Better Emails."
Booher addresses how some emails are too long -- and how some are too short. I think we all know the problem with long emails, but can you be too brief?
Booher says yes.
She cites the boss who emails the project team to ask for their input on a problem.
The first person to respond to the message supplies a "half-baked idea" and hits "reply all."
That leads to other busy team members replying with "sounds good to me" or "I'm okay with that."
"And before you know it, the inclination for speed overruns the need for quality thinking," Booher says.
Boohers also points out:
- Brevity can lead to brusqueness. If the subject is sensitive or negative, or you haven't yet established a "cordial" relationship with the reader, you might want to reconsider your approach.
- Adding one word or phrase can make a difference. Instead of just responding "No" to a request, add something like, "No, sorry I can't make it."
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