Guidelines for Professional E-mail Communications Free

Although an article by Lorenz (2007) in the online magazine, Slate, discussed the "death of email," e-mail communications are alive and strong, even if their use is waning among teens and others who favor texting, IMing, and other forms of digital communication. In fact, in 2008, legitimate e-mail communications topped over 150 billion (Radicati Group, as cited in Tsatchabitscher, 2008) and over “67% of consumers preferred email as a means of being contacted by businesses" (Leggatt, 2008). A study by Weiss and Hanson-Bauldalf (2008) found e-mail "to be a viable and indispensable means of communication in academia … that has the potential to greatly enhance academic learning" (p. 48). However, the researchers also noted that it was necessary for professors to establish clear guidelines for e-mail communications–not only to set clear parameters for communicating but also to alleviate frustration by both professors and their students. The criteria they suggested for consideration in determining guidelines ranged from appropriate and inappropriate uses of e-mail, to formality and grammar, to expectations of responsiveness (e.g., how much time it will typically take a professor to respond).

In a time when digital communications of all sorts are common, guidelines for e-mail communications are needed. Even so, information about how to craft an e-mail, especially a professional, formal one, is not a typical component of acceptable use policies within most organizations. For instance, George Washington University's (GWU) “GWMail Policy" (see http://my.gwu.edu/files/policies/GWMailPolicy-FINAL.pdf) outlines standards for anyone using a GWU e-mail account, which includes information about inappropriate uses of e-mail communications, among several other important issues. However, it does not provide commonsense guidelines for communicating in a professional manner. This article provides some general guidelines for professional e-mail communications which may be applied in professional, educational, and personal settings whether an email recipient is a colleague or supervisor at one's work, one's distance education professor, or an officer in a volunteer organization.

A general tip for writing a formal, professional e-mail message is to consider it is the same as writing a letter–and be sure to include the major parts of a letter.

1. Address the recipient in some way by title or name (e.g., Dr. Milman, Dear Professor, etc.). The easiest–and safest–way to address someone is by title–it makes it easier to avoid addressing a recipient by the wrong gender. Even if you know the recipient, referring to someone of authority by title demonstrates knowledge of the person's status.

2. Include a subject that accurately describes the contents of the e-mail. If the e-mail is about an assignment, then include a subject line such as “research paper assignment question"–this gives the recipient an idea of the contents of the message and its importance. Many professors have more than a hundred students and multiple classes, and may not know what you are referring to if you ask about "homework."

3. Provide some type of signature that includes your name. It is important for the recipient to know who sent the e-mail. Many e-mail addresses do not clue recipients in as to who sent an e-mail–and even if it does, it is not the recipient's job to guess who sent the e-mail! There have been times that I have received e-mails without an e-mail signature and from a non-university address. I had to reply inquiring who the e-mail was from before I would respond to it.

4. Use appropriate grammar and syntax. This cannot be emphasized enough. In educational and professional environments, it is important to maintain a sense of formality when communicating, especially when it is documented. Rather than thinking of an e-mail as a text message or something similarly impermanent, think about it as something more lasting like a letter (and indeed some professors and administrators print out all of their correspondence, file it in a digital file folder, and/or save it indefinitely–some even might refer to correspondence from an individual when crafting a letter of recommendation).

5. Proofread before sending! Some of us are better typists than others. Just as you should conduct a spelling and grammar check, be sure the content is accurate not only considering your intended message or question, but also the tone.

6. Do not send an e-mail that you might later regret. Always consider that your e-mail message may later come back to haunt you. This can happen when a recipient forwards your message to others, erroneously or purposefully.

Another consideration when sending e-mail involves whether or not e-mail is the best mode of communication in the first place. Sometimes, it is best to meet in person, and if that is not possible, then a phone or Web conference should be scheduled.

Galt House Hotel Louisville Kentucky October 27-31, 2009