10 Email mistakes that are making you unpopular at work

E-etiquette: 10 Email mistakes that make you unpopular at work

huibing

21 Jul 2017

1/10
Accidentally replying all
When you’re in an email chain with over fifty coworkers, the last thing you really want to see is a response from all of them. And, the same applies both ways too! So, unless everyone needs to be updated on your response, it’ll be a lot better if you just replied to the sender instead.
2/10
Not properly addressing your colleagues
Whether it is incorrectly formatting their names or straight up forgetting their names, your coworkers may not necessarily appreciate you messing up their names. Sure, this may be Email Etiquette 101, but check to ensure that you have their names written right, and then check once more before sending. And, no, ‘To Whom It May Concern’ is not an acceptable alternative if they’re your colleagues.
3/10
Misusing CC and BCC
CC stands for carbon copy and BCC stands for blind carbon copy— and these two are extremely powerful tools when it comes to emails. Sometimes, it is better to just send them a separate email with details they would actually need. Plus, everyone can see those who have been CC’ed, so keep to BCC if you don’t want the identity of those you’re sending it to to be known.
4/10
Having an overly casual tone
Yes, you might have gone past that point of awkwardness in real life, but being too informal through email can be off-putting. This is, after all, a workplace and your tone may be easily misinterpreted through text, leading to unnecessary tension. Jokes, especially, can easily be seen as rude or overbearing so be careful with your tone.
5/10
Using a writing style that is too formal
And the opposite isn’t good either. Sending back one-liners or replies that are cold and mechanical aren’t great. After all, if it sounds like an automated message, it might be too abrupt and blunt to the reader. Consider adding a quick line or two about the question you’re answering to, before providing your response.
6/10
Email timings
While some of you might be more productive in the wee hours of the night, others might not necessarily approve the reply you penned back. After all, the last thing they really want is to be woken up at 3am about something not that urgent. So, keep the email hours to working hours — and a few hours before or after, if the need arises.
7/10
Not proofreading your emails
Typing on your phone is no excuse for poor grammar, poor spelling, and general text-speak. So, while it might be easier to let it slip and blame it on your fingers, it’s advised to check and double-check to ensure your message is written clearly. The point of communication is to get a message across, so the reader has to know what you’re talking about.
8/10
Misusing the urgent labels
The ‘important’ or ‘urgent’ labels are extremely useful, but only when used right. Keep it to really important emails only, so they would actually be treated as such when the occasion arises.
9/10
Sending large attachments
Large attachments can easily clog up one’s inbox, so ask before sending them over. Inquire about the best timings to send them the files, especially as they can cause other (more important) emails to be left unreceived.
10/10
Having a poor subject line
Last but not the least, your subject line is the first thing that is read, so be clear and concise. It should inform the reader of what the contents of the email is, and should not be easily flagged as spam. This means to go easy on the capital letters, exclamation marks, as well as avoiding (to the best of your abilities) spam trigger words.

The emails you send to others are a reflection of who you are, so be extra careful.

There is no denying how incredibly useful emails can be. But with great power comes great responsibilities. When communicating with your coworkers and clients, there is often a fine line between friendliness to unprofessionalism, raising a few eyebrows and causing a few exasperated sighs. We understand, though. The art of crafting the perfect email can be hard, especially if you’re not particularly used to it. But, there truly is no better time than now to hone your e-etiquette skills, and we have some pointers you should take note of.

The basics of emailing right and emailing well is: if it should be done in-person, then do it in-person. There’s no point in trying to write up an extensive email, only for the reader to skim through it, and have to spend hours making up the best reply possible. While emails are convenient, it might be even more efficient to communicate face-to-face. And, remember that this is a representation of you as a professional, so keep it neat and keep it clean. So, what are you waiting for? Scroll back up to check out our 10 email mistakes you should most definitely avoid doing in your emailing adventures.

Lee Hui Bing

Photo: Getty Images

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