Email has become the most popular form of written correspondence at the workplace, which is no surprise due to its efficiency in addressing multitudes of people quickly. Email is also great for addressing people time zones apart, and globally. It also leaves a paper trail, so that you can track the progress of a given action item. Attachments, like PDFs, can also be added simply to email messages. Email is also best for routine and simple messages around a workplace.
An email begins with a header that contains who the message is from and to, what the subject of the message is, when it was sent, and sometimes a list of people included as courtesy copies (Cc). An introductory paragraph that gets straight to the point will often be included, and the follow body paragraph(s) will explain more background details. The conclusion of an email will often invite further action, and a signature block will appear at the end of the message.
It is oftentimes difficult to control how to address your email for a specific audience because after you have sent your message, you have little control over where it will go beyond the initial list. However, email can serve a variety of purposes. These include: scheduling meetings, brainstorming on a team project, asking people for answers, and sending electronic memos. A general rule of thumb is to believe that your email could end up in anyone's hands, so be careful what you say!
Email written at work must have a professional tone-- people often get confused between professional and personal email, which have very different styles. Professional email should be free of abbreviations, emoticons, casual phrases, and ALL CAPS or boldface.
You should also avoid using email as a scape goat to face-to-face contact. Email omits social cues and immediate feedback. It should also not be used for complex conversations. Keep email for simple conversations where face-to-face interaction is not necessarily possible.
Visuals can also be used in email, but I would recommend sticking with conservative fonts, colors, and background. Choose Times Roman or Helvetica for your font, as fancy fonts are inappropriate for workplace communication. Visuals should also not be embedded in the message, but attached separately, if the file is small enough.
As email is a digital form of communication, it can, theoretically, last forever. This means that email may be subject to copyright. The copyright, of course, belongs to the person who wrote the email. Email also has privacy issues, being that once a message is sent, it is no longer private at all. I discussed this earlier, but it should be noted again that email can't be taken back, so be careful what you write!
Instant messaging allows for faster communication within the office in real time. When using this application, you should consider whom you are talking to, not everyone may be familiar or like the ultra-quick form of communication. It's great for rapid responses, but not good for project planning or anything more detailed than a "yes" or "no" answer. You should also avoid using IM with people who are not in your organization, like customers or clients.
Group Discussion Question: How do you feel about using Instant Messaging in a corporate setting?
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