Email time saver or time waster?

There are a few things we could do to make life easier. Suggested Etiquette to improve email efficiency;

1. Always reply to emails from your colleagues within a couple of days, even if only to say I will deal with this as soon as I can. Apart from being rather rude not to respond, chances are that if you don't reply then you will be emailed again which will fill up your in-box even more.

2. Set the options or preferences in your email program to show your real name. If the email you receive shows a real name then you will probably know if the sender is genuine.

3. Always include your details at the bottom of your message. You can do this by setting the options or preferences in your email program to have a signature added, this gets tagged on to the bottom of your message, enter your name, telephone ext, and building.

4. Always put a meaningful subject title in the message. This makes it easier to identify if it is a genuine message and allows the receiver to prioritise. Also if you use reply to a message but are changing the topic change the subject line as well. Messages with no subject or old subject titles often get binned.

5. Don't reply to all if one person only needs the reply. The other recipients do not really want to know that you can't make a large group meeting; they can wait for the apologies to be read out.

6. Try to restrict addressing emails requesting actions to one recipient. Messages sent to several people result in it being unclear who needs to take action. If you think others need to know cc them. This is not the case if the message is for information only, then send to the people who need the information but make it clear.

7. Try not to use email aliases and send email messages to large numbers of people unless you are sure they will be interested in the topic.

8. Do not use or set the read/return/delivery receipt options indiscriminately so that every time someone receives an email from you they get a message asking you to acknowledge receipt. This takes them time saying no or never to the popup message or you get lots of emails saying I got it.

9. Try to keep messages to one page and edit the junk from the previous messages on replies. These large messages with address lists and several answers to earlier emails are hard to read and fill your inbox. Also people tend to print large messages to make it easier to read which defeats the goal of a paperless office.

10. Try to include the message in the email and not send an attachment if possible. If what you want to send is in a word processor document cut and paste it into the email text.

11. Please do not use pictures, colour graphics and emoticons unless really necessary. They just take up space in the inbox.

12. Absence/holiday/vacation messages. If you set the vacation message in my accounts to tell people you are on holiday please remember to turn it off when you get back. Also set it to personal (not mailing lists).