Why YSK: These email tips are helpful for people who struggle with boundaries and want to communicate more assertively.
While most of these are a good rule of thumb, I disagree with 'Always Happy to Help.' > 'No Problem.'
I'm always happy to help can be a fine response, if you're actually willing to make your time available for the recipient at the drop of a hat. Sometimes that might be called for, but I would only reserve that for a few very specific circumstances. I also don't see an issue with saying 'no problem' in many circumstances. There are situations where something a little more formal is called for, but 90% of the time it should work imho.
I feel like "always happy to help" is one of those London Lies (tm)(how do I do superscript?) ...that might not work in another environment that's not so superficially polite while simultaneously devastating rude.
It’s also a generational thing: everyone around me up to the mid 30s uses “no problem” to indicate that the request/help was of little bother so the requester shouldn’t feel bad for asking, which can sometimes annoy the people who say “you’re welcome” instead.
“Happy to help”, to me, suggests a greater eagerness than just being kind.
Saying It’d be easier to discuss in person comes off as “I can’t legally put this in writing because it’s against your contract” and not “this is hard to word/explain.” Lol. This is straight PR shit.
I hate people doing that. It means that they can’t be bothered to think about their problem and what it actually is that they want from me.
If you can’t put it in words, you can’t put it in words. Changing the medium from mail to sound won’t help. Thinking will.
that's not necessarily what it means. some things legitimately are easier to explain in person. ever try working out a complicated mathematical argument in an email? one can do it, but it's not pretty. in person you can write on paper, draw figures, etc., synchronously with your compatriot observing and even participating. it's not merely a change of medium from text to sound.
This was created by a comic creator with ADHD. A lot of these are helpful for people with loose time boundaries.
Shorten the last one to "I will need to leave at ___"
First rule of email: don’t use comic sans font.
I was hoping for something else when I saw the title.
But, now that I am here:
I will soon start a new job, where the number of emails will be much larger than it is now. Any recommendations for sorting these ‘like a boss’?
I am using Mac mail, but can change to outlook if there are some good reasons - and stuff Mac mail can’t do (mail wise).
I hope you get some good answers - have you tried posting in !nostupidquestions@lemmy.world? They have 20k subscribers and you are likely to get some tips.
@mikkL I've used Getting to Inbox Zero via @jilleduffy task template for Todoist for many years. I can't find a link to the template anymore, but Todoist has an article that covers the basics.
One of the key parts for me is spending time each morning reviewing incoming email and either addressing it immediately, or adding it to Todoist to address later.
These seem to be based on some core concepts of psychology and interpersonal influence (intended or not). I used to work in that area and picked up a few of these tricks along the way too.
Basically what they do is give your recipient a clear call to action-if you want them to do something, it's best to ask directly VS tiptoeing around. The best example there being the just wanted to check in one. If you want an update, ask for it. That way there's no ambiguity what the response needs to be and they can fire it off quickly without thinking. You can wordsmith it to fit your style and company culture but the point is to tell them what you want them to do.
The other thing I see here is a sort of 2-parter. It's about conveying confidence and positivity in your tone. There's a lot of nuance to this and personal communication style and context of the situation play in more. But basically these items like 'nice catch!' and 'thanks for your patience' all kind of do this, showing a kind of team player attitude that also demonstrates that you know your own worth. 'Happy to help' does something similar but is more subtle-it avoids the negative tone of things like 'no problem' and goes a bit further.
Individually theses communications may have a minimal impact (depending on the situation of course) but over time using this kind of language associates you with positivity and confidence and can help you with with you building work relationships.
Don't judge me... I never use exclamation points unless the context is absolutely fitting. Aka, %1 of my email and text, if not less, uses it. It's like I've saved it for it's original meaning. My wife isn't a fan of this.
Your usage is more traditionally correct. Typographers and writers agree that the use of exclamation marks (also referred to as ‘bang’ or ‘screamer’) should be done sparingly.
But with so much informal (digital) communication, it’s taken on a new life as an indicator of friendliness.
Unlike the Germans, who have international government agreements that change the rules of their written language, English simply evolves with the next crop of teenage whims.
Which may be another way of saying that while you are correct, your wife is more hip.
Some of these are good, because getting into the habit of thanking people for helping (“thanks for catching that!”) fosters good working relationships or providing specifics that, presumably, work for you, too (“can you do [x] times?”) is a better starting point than being truly open ended.
But I well and truly despise the “thanks for your patience/when can I expect” because we ALL know what you mean and I respect someone far more if they acknowledge, explain, and move on from their errors than just…reword shit.
I like how this post started a lot of good discussions on what people like and dislike in email communication. Really lively in here.
I imagine a LOT of us have many, teeth-clenching opinions on what constitutes a good email. XD
Problem’s already been solved, however: it’s mine. My way’s the best.
Haha, this is exactly it. The comments here make it obvious people have OPINIONS. I'm here to enjoy it.
One really important thing I've learned is that you need to tell your employer when you need time off. You never request it.
Another really important thing I learned is if you have a good relationship with your boss is to discuss or ask when it would be best for the company to take time off and try to arrange you schedule with those dates in mind.
As an example of this, I like to take a vacation in the summer so I will usually discuss the best week I can do that with my boss because it's not very importent to me exactly which week I want as long as it's some time in the summer.
Corpo bullshit. Silverhand wouldn't approve
The one about not saying "I think maybe" is one I actively try to do. Assertiveness is something that doesn't come naturally to me but I've been in too many situations where my lack of assertiveness comes across as uncertainty and introduces confusion into discussions where actually I do know what I'm talking about.
I attach a goatse to my email communicationsz tonrrally drive home the point of urgency in the face of devastating consequences.
Follow me for more productivity tips.
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