The 4 Steps to Writing Better Email Replies

Today’s communication channels, which encourage speed and immediacy, can create misunderstandings, broken commitments and annoying feelings of disrespect. When a workplace is burdened with missed, rushed or criss-crossing messages, collaboration is hindered, leading to widespread inaction or worse, chaos.

Tom emails his boss, “Do you want to speak Wednesday or Thursday?

His boss responds, “Yes.”

When does Tom’s boss want to meet? We don’t know, and neither does Tom.

The average office worker receives 121 emails and responds to over 61 emails per day.

Given the sheer magnitude of messages we receive daily, coupled with expectations for speedy communication, it makes sense that we’re prone to take shortcuts and leave out context in our messages. And a lot of times, these brief messages cause confusion and misunderstandings, resulting in tarnished office or client relationships.

The gaps we all experience in response times bring with them another problem, namely, that circumstances can change dramatically before we’ve gotten an answer to the first email we sent. In addition, our need for a response increases with every second we sit there, making us feel anxious, resentful and stressed-out. This issue is especially germane for global leaders with teams in multiple time zones.

So beyond resisting the blind impulse to respond to an email immediately, how can we show good digital body language and write better email replies? In my new book?Digital Body Language, here are four steps to writing better email replies.

Step 1: Slow Down

The default for speed in our digital communications can be annoying, if not outright disrespectful. Don’t automatically choose immediacy over a response that can become all the more valuable when you delay sending it. If our organizations are truly committed to fostering innovation-creating collaboration, we need to stop trying to send the shortest, fastest messages possible.

Slow down and proofread your communications as though they are presentations. Re-read what you’ve written at least once before sending, making sure your message is free of typos and confusing language. Use bold and underlined headings or bullet points. Simultaneously check for clarity, and make sure your recipient knows what you expect in response. Are you saying what you mean, providing necessary detail, and being clear in your ask?

And don’t expect instantaneous responses to the messages you send. Realize that sometimes people are working on other things. Wait a few days before sending a follow up unless it’s urgent.

Step 2: Avoid Brevity

The pressure to communicate quickly and often makes us take shortcuts and leave out context, leaving people to fill the void with confusion and insecurity. But a key skill when using digital body language is to never confuse a brief message with a clear message.

Senior leaders are notorious for sending sloppy texts and especially sloppy emails; they feel being busy is permission enough for poor sentences, bad grammar, and atrocious spelling. But brevity can also hurt your business. Why? Because brevity creates confusion.

If you’re a manager, here are?3 questions?to ask yourself to create a culture of clarity instead of brevity with your teammates:

1. Am I being clear enough about what I need? Always take a moment to provide important background needed for the recipient.
2. Did I include the right people in the email? Is it clear why this message is meaningful to this person or group of people? It’s easy to be so brief that others don’t understand why they need to respond back.
3. Am I intentional about when and what I expect in a response? Make sure you are giving your team an appropriate and clear time when you expect an email back.

The point is, even if it takes you a few extra minutes, spend the time to communicate with the intention of being ultra clear.

Step 3: Don’t Say “Yes” Immediately

Be careful about saying “yes” to a task without first understanding all of the details, such as deadlines, who will be working alongside you and what resources you’ll have at your disposal. Take an extra step or setup a call to discuss. Follow up if you need to get all the relevant information. When you can’t find these out, re-evaluate your entire roadmap and communicate proactively.

Step 4: Take Charge of Your Communication

In today’s world, the average manager spends around 2.5 hours a day on workplace drama, misunderstanding and confusion. We forget that we’re capable of taking charge of our communications when sending and receiving messages. We can do so by directing people with the subject line; making it easy to take action; sending emails on weekday mornings for a high response rate; knowing how to tell if an email conversation is ending.

At the end of the day, these simple steps can make a huge difference. They’ve been used in Fortune 500 and small startups and nonprofits, and they’ve even transformed the relationships in my own life. Put these principles into practice, and you’ll be sure to build better trust and connection with your colleagues.

Erica Dhawan?is a leading expert on 21st century teamwork and communication. She is an award winning keynote speaker and the author of the new book?Digital Body Language. Download her free guide to?End Digital Burnout. Follow her on?Linkedin.