10 Tips for Mastering Email Etiquette in the Workplace

Are you even an employee if you’ve never gotten a “kindly find attached” email from your team lead or colleagues? Emails have become the primary mode of communication in the workplace because it is fast, efficient, and easy to use. With the rise of email, it has also become essential to learn some email etiquette because, between tone, formatting, and timing, there are many elements that can make or break a successful email exchange. 

Here are 10 tips for mastering email etiquette in the workplace

1. Be clear and concise: Make sure your message is clear and simple to understand. Avoid rambling or unnecessary details.
2. Use a clear subject line: A clear subject line will help your recipient understand the purpose of your email and prioritize it accordingly especially when you aren’t using a professional email. 
3. Use proper grammar and spelling: Emails reflect your professionalism so proofread for grammar and spelling errors. Also, use professional language in workplace emails. Avoid slang, abbreviations, and emoticons.
4. Avoid using all caps: using all caps in an email is considered shouting so, it’s best to avoid using it unless you want to emphasize a word or phrase.
5. Don’t forward emails without permission: If you need to forward an email to someone else, seek permission from the original sender before doing so. This demonstrates respect for their privacy and ensures that sensitive content is kept safe.
6. Use humor with caution: Humor in emails can be tricky as what you find funny might not be funny to the recipient. Only use humor when necessary and in moderation. 
7. Use a proper greeting and sign-off: Start with a formal greeting and end with a professional sign-off as “Best regards” or “Sincerely”.
8. Use Reply and Forward appropriately: When replying to an email, make sure you’re replying to the correct person. If you’re forwarding an email, make sure you’re forwarding only the relevant information.
9. Cross-check your email before sending: Before sending a work email, review it again to be sure you have the right details inputted. Check for any typos, grammar errors, and use of tone before hitting the “send” button.
10. Know when to follow up: If you do not receive a response to your email, don’t be quick to resend another one. Wait for a while before doing so. 

Mastering email etiquette is essential for effective communication in the workplace but with these tips, you sure won’t get it wrong again!