一篇旧文：从一个不高效的email通信中的总结

今天查找邮件，发现2008年1月17日写的一封邮件，总结了当时一个新人在email交流中出现的问题。今天看来依然借鉴的意义。

========

 

The summary of recent  issues on email communication

1.       Culture

1.1   Quality

Quality is always the most important point during work. We need to keep this in mind and make it a habit.

1.2   Individual’s Contribution is the key to the success of the company

Our company highly recognizes individual’s work and achievement, and encourage individuals to take more responsibilities. For example, if you are taking a task to investigate a defect, you are actually taking the ownership of the task. You need to be active in correspondence, and lead the team to successfully resolve the issue.

1.3   Don’t be shy to ask for help

The environment in our company is open and friendly. Nobody would laugh at you no matter what you are asking. Furthermore, you may get some answers which exceed your expectation, and enrich your experience and knowledge.

1.4   Don’t give up too early

It may relate to personal characteristic, but it will decide our intent when we accepted a task. For the people who never give up, they would intend to complete the task and have a very clear goal on the task. For the people who don’t have the strong scene of perseverance, they may intend to investigate and see if he can achieve it. It’s slightly different, but may lead to different results.

2.       Email Communication

2.1   Read Carefully

If you are in the TO list of an email, you need to read it very carefully. Please recall if you have ever tried to make a word or sentence in your email clear to your audience, and take some time to select appropriate word or expression. If you have ever made this, why not read emails carefully. Not only does it relate to your coming task, but also shows the respect to efforts of your colleagues.

2.2   Reply carefully and in time

When we get requested to reply an email by US colleagues, we need to be very carefully about the email, including:

-          Make clear what the purpose of the request. For example, product lead may need the technical solution to your task and check if you are on track. QA manager may need a date to prepare for the test to your implementation. Bug Comm may need both technical solution and estimation on impact, risk, time, schedule, and so on.

-          Make your expression clear, simple, straightforward and easy to understand.

-          Keep in mind your email will be read and replied the next day. Back and forth discussion will impact the schedule much. I have ever sent out a famous paper 《提问的智慧》to some of us, and I bet most of you have read this paper. Read it again if you have time, and it’s still worth well.

2.3   No progress ≠ No Update

Don’t leave the email to request your status aside if you don’t have any progress. You can still provide information about what you have done / what your concern is / what you are resolving / what the plan is / other necessary information.

3.       Actions by which we can improve

3.1   Manage Multiple Priorities

3.2   Make plan

When you get a new task, making a plan is always a good habit. The plan don’t need to be accurate, and mostly will be modified later.

3.3   Read and learn from the discussion in XXX Tech Email Alias

Answers to questions posted to XXX Tech Email Alias are not only technical documents, but also they can be very good samples of how to write professional email, as well as our culture.