E MAIL PROTOCOL

INTRODUCTION

How often have we said:

• I feel I spend too much time keeping up with my email• Email cuts into time I wanted to spend on other tasks• I have trouble keeping up with email on days I am away from my desk• I get too much email

I spend too much time getting rid of unimportant messages• I am satisfied with the strategy I use to keep up with my mail• When I return from vacation/time off, I feel overwhelmed when triaging my mail

Almost all of us!

Now having established a common view there are a few recorded observations about e-mail that may be of interest:

1. As a rule of thumb, the more people you send an email to, the less likely any single person will respond to it, much less perform any action that you requested.

2. The average time to write an e-mail message is about 4 minutes, and the average time to read a message is about half a minute. It thus takes about eight times as long to write as to read messages.

3. Most people cannot on average be overloaded by single-recipient messages, because the writing time exceeds the reading time.

4. People get “too much email” because messages are sent to many recipients and not all recipients actually need the message.

5. Messages to multiple users can result in the two extremes of

i. nobody doing something which anybody could have done but everybody thought that somebody would do; and

ii. everybody doing something which only one person needed to do

A common theme within these independent views is that e-mails to and from multiple users do not necessarily generate the expected response. Indeed it may result in further frustration that e-mails one needs are being obscured by the fog of other mails.

The solution to the e-mail dilemma which almost all of s face is to use and appropriate e-mail protocol to obtain the optimum communication using the medium of e-mail.

AIM

The aim of this paper is to instill some thought within the Project as to how e-mail should be used so that our communication is effective and contributes to the overall productivity of the Project rather than stultifying it.

INITIATING E-MAILS

The initiator of an e-mail may be creating the solution to a problem but, without thought, could create unproductive work for many people through the use of multiple recipients resulting in multiple responses, involving others whom recipients feel they need to consult or inform, unsolicited opinions from Others. Such a situation tends to result in ‘busy-ness’ rather than “business”.

Prior to embarking on initiating a work related e-mail the following should be considered:

What is the purpose of my e-mail?

PURPOSE TYPE OF COMMUNICATION

RESPONSE NEEDED

REMARKS

Sharing information in order to update

Updating & Informing

Nil No action is required by the recipients

Keeping people ‘in the loop’ on possible issues arising.

Informing Nil Use a bcc if required in order to limit ‘exposure’ issues.

Seeking an opinion on an issue

Questioning YES Direct response to the initiator only, do not use ‘reply all’.

Discussing an issue

Chatting YES Use ‘reply all’ as views are required - but would a meeting be better?

Asking/instructing somebody to do something

Instructing YES Actionee must confirmation acceptance and also completion.

Clarifying an issue to establish a way forward

Directing NO Silence will be deemed to be acceptance.

Who is the recipient(s) of the e-mail?

RECIPIENT TYPE OF COMMUNICATI

ON

RESPONSE

NEEDED

REMARKS

Own Work Group/Department

Collaboration / Informing

Varies General information on tasks in hand etc. Confirm views. “Reply All” may be

used.Personnel in ‘other’ groups

Interfacing YES Confirmation of understanding/compliance. BCC Department Head. Respond to initiator only.

Subordinate Staff

Instructions/Direction

YES Confirmation of understanding/compliance. CC subordinates manager if required.

Peers Discussion Yes Sharing of views & opinions but would a meeting be better.

Senior Staff Seeking Direction/approvals

Yes Use BCC if you wish others to know – but is it really necessary?

Interested Parties

Informing etc No Use BCC

Do all of the intended recipients need to be “directly” involved in the communication?

If there were no e-mail would you need to have all the participants in the discussion? If not, then consider reducing the number of addressees in the “TO” field. If you wish recipients to be aware of te communication then use the “CC” field or even “BCC” fields to limit the BCC’s recipient(s) expose to the ‘reply all’ option.

Do you really require a response from all recipients?

If there is a real need for a response from everybody then ask for it in the e-mail and use the “TO” field for all intended recipients.

If you only want a response from people directed to yourself then use the “CC” field. Recipients who are CCd need not use the “Reply All”. If a recipient objects to something or has a contrary view then this should be discussed with the initiator, the use of “Reply All” to initiate a discussion should be discussed with the initiator. Differences of opinion need not always be shared with everybody – remember the initiator of the communication initiated the discussion with an individual through a multiple e-mail. Respondees should not hijack the intended purpose of the initiator.

Do all recipients really need to be involved?

Is it necessary for a recipient to “need to know” or would it be “nice to know”? It is nice to know everything that is going on but the topic may not be relevant or impact on the recipient. If an opinion is asked for, is the recipient(s) the right person to ask?

Do you need a ‘read response’?

Is it necessary for a recipient to advise you that he/she has read the e-mail as a request for read receipts will tender to clutter your own inbox. A read response will conform that the person has seen the mail only. If a matter is so vital that a response is required a telephone call or face to face meeting would be better, or a letter.

The attendance at meetings may be a reason for a read response. A nil response is taken as a yes as the person has been asked to attend. If the recipient cannot attend then a courteous ‘no’ should be sent otherwise acceptance is presumed.

RESPONDING TO E-MAILS

The content and style of the response to an e-mail is up the individual. However the response to an e-mail can and often does create an e-mail ‘chain’ which frustrates other recipients due to the mail being irrelevant to them, interfering with other work, duplicating the

Are you in a position to respond to the e-mail?

If the e-mail has come from an external party and is related to the Project or Business, are you able to speak on behalf of the organisation or to commit the organisation to something. If in doubt, defer from responding and speak to your line manager. A formal means of communication or the following of established protocols for dealing with, say queries regarding quality control or methodology, may be followed.

Do you really need to use the “Reply All” button?

If the Initiator has asked for your view as a “CC” then you should only respond to the Initiator and not everybody. .

Do you need to respond or contribute?

If you are not in a position to offer anything of real value one can politely decline to contribute. A simple NIL response or “No comment” to the Initiator only adds value by not taking up to much time or requirement the others to know you had “No Comment”.

If you are a CC recipient your view or input is not necessarily required – you are being kept ‘in the loop’ and a response or input is not necessarily needed. If there is a view then share it with selected personnel or the Initiator and let the Initiator take the lead; after all the Initiator started the communication chain and should be allowed to close it

Do you need to involve Others?

If a Respondee needs to discuss the item with Others then the Respondee should initiate an e-mail accordingly rather than reply to all with other addressees; after all you have been asked for your input and attracting Others just adds to the e-mail overload

Do all recipients really need to be involved?

Is it necessary for a recipient to “need to know” or would it be “nice to know”? It is nice to know everything that is going on but the topic may not be relevant or impact on the recipient.

OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

E-mail is an effective and rapid communication tool for seeking advice, delegating, instructing, directing and collaborating. However there are other, older alternatives. If one needs to communicate and e-mail mis the best way then use it. However the following should be borne in mind:

Would it be quicker to call/see the person? E-mail is often used to ‘create a record’ to cover one’s actions and let the worlds know how busy somebody is. The telephone is a quick and

effective communication tool as is walking to an office to discuss a matter. Such verbal communications should be ‘to the point’ and can be confirmed in an e-mail later if required.

Would it be quicker to convene a meeting? One should consider that a 30 minute focused meeting could be more productive that the man hours involved in chasing a multiple e-mail chain and the number of ‘reply all’ responses which clutter mail boxes either unread or skipped over.

Is the Recipient on Leave? – if a person has gone on leave it is to serve the purpose of ‘going on leave’. If it is major and significant issue that the recipient really needs to know about during vacation then use the “BCC” field in a multiple e-mail. If the recipients input is really required then send a ‘single recipient’ message or call them!. It would be preferable to prepare a briefing note on issues etc for the recipients return to bring them ‘up to speed’ rather then interfere with a person’s leave.

CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

E-mail is an effective means of communication. However the effects of multiple recipient messages, multiple recipient responses, incorporation of Others into e-mail chains, using “Reply All”, directly incorporating Project Staff who are not directly involved in issues, or involving personnel who are known to be on leave creates e-mail overload and subsequent inefficiency.

The use of e-mail in a systematic controlled manner will lead to less e-mails and less time wasted. The use of e-mails must be efficient and in order to enhance efficiency it is recommended that “All Users” adopt the above protocol.

NOTE – EMAIL SHOULD NEVER BE USED FOR CONTRACTUAL COMMUNICATION, THE GIVING OR ACCEPATANCE OF INSTRUCTIONS, AGREEING TO CHANGES/VARIATIONS. IT IS A METHOD OF COMMUNICATION THROUGH CONVERSATION RATHER THAN FORMAL CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

MP - 2 Aug 2007

effective communication tool as is walking to an office to discuss a matter. Such verbal communications should be ‘to the point’ and can be confirmed in an e-mail later if required.

Would it be quicker to convene a meeting? One should consider that a 30 minute focused meeting could be more productive that the man hours involved in chasing a multiple e-mail chain and the number of ‘reply all’ responses which clutter mail boxes either unread or skipped over.

Is the Recipient on Leave? – if a person has gone on leave it is to serve the purpose of ‘going on leave’. If it is major and significant issue that the recipient really needs to know about during vacation then use the “BCC” field in a multiple e-mail. If the recipients input is really required then send a ‘single recipient’ message or call them!. It would be preferable to prepare a briefing note on issues etc for the recipients return to bring them ‘up to speed’ rather then interfere with a person’s leave.

CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

E-mail is an effective means of communication. However the effects of multiple recipient messages, multiple recipient responses, incorporation of Others into e-mail chains, using “Reply All”, directly incorporating Project Staff who are not directly involved in issues, or involving personnel who are known to be on leave creates e-mail overload and subsequent inefficiency.

The use of e-mail in a systematic controlled manner will lead to less e-mails and less time wasted. The use of e-mails must be efficient and in order to enhance efficiency it is recommended that “All Users” adopt the above protocol.

NOTE – EMAIL SHOULD NEVER BE USED FOR CONTRACTUAL COMMUNICATION, THE GIVING OR ACCEPATANCE OF INSTRUCTIONS, AGREEING TO CHANGES/VARIATIONS. IT IS A METHOD OF COMMUNICATION THROUGH CONVERSATION RATHER THAN FORMAL CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

MP - 2 Aug 2007