Email may be an efficient method of communication but it is frequently not the most effective.
Because email lacks tone and nuance it is very easy to misinterpret the mood of the individual on the other end. For example, I am frequently trying to get through my emails quickly so they are terse – short and to the point. I’ve had people ask me to be more patient or they think I’m in a bad mood. And that it isn’t the case at all – I’m just trying to answer emails and move on to the next task.
I haven’t figured out a way to seem less impatient or grumpy in my email other than using exclamation points – “thanks!”. Perhaps if I express excitement than I won’t be perceived as out of sorts.
There are, however, words or phrases that will set me on edge when they are in the emails that I receive.
- Quick Question – this is often used as the subject line and in the body of the email. It’s never quick. And somehow the word quick implies that I will be able to answer it immediately.
- Easy – this is usually a question like “Is it easy to edit my style sheet?” or “Is brain surgery easy?” ;-) Well, I think editing a style sheet is easy because I have a lot of experience doing that. But, that doesn’t mean someone else will think it’s easy. You might think knitting is easy and I’ve never been able to figure it out. Whether something is easy is based on experience and I really can’t answer that for you.
- Hard – “How hard would it be to …?” This is like easy. It will probably be harder than answering the email but not as hard as quantum physics. Again, this is based on experience and interests.
- ASAP – I know this is often used as a way of saying “as soon as you can get to it” but it bothers me. It implies that what you need is way more important than what I am currently working on.
- Simple – When someone tells me that what they need done is “simple”, it implies that my skills are lacking and that it shouldn’t cost very much. Really, if it’s so simple, why don’t you just take care of it yourself?
The other thing I don’t like about email is that sarcasm is completely lost. Since I am a sarcastic person, my “jokes” often fall completely flat in my emails.
In the mid 1990’s when I first started using email I thought it was so exciting and loved getting them. Now, not so much and I kinda yearn for an actual letter. ;-)
What words or phrases do you dislike reading in your email?
photo credit: ktommy
You can agree to disagree with me.
Depending who I write an email message to depends how casual I am with language. I’ve never met you, for instance, Kim, but I know you well enough on a social networking angle that it is easy for me to write a message to you that reads as if I am saying it, ya know? So if I preface a question with the literal words, “Quick question,” it’s my way of cutting to the chase because I know you’re busy.
And if it’s not a quick question, I say that too.
Well, I’m sure most people don’t mean “quick question” the way that I interpret it, but it does imply that the answer is quick and then I can get to it right away.
Fun post. I totally agree with you about how the letter/email thing has changed over the years. Emails used to mean the people I liked best sharing jokes. Now email is mostly work, work and more work. But a letter with an actual stamp is a joy.
Just one quick question for you – is it easy or hard to do a simple stylesheet edit? Thanks for answering ASAP. ;)
Hi Diane – Thanks! And the answer is it’s the hardest thing in the world ;-)
Lol got the meaning of these words from the consulting angle. Most of them mean ‘free help’
Yep! I don’t mind helping people but it’s going to have to be on my time :-)
Oh how I feel for ya Kim, email and Instant messenger such as yahoo really get to m sometimes because the the side many times doesn’t “get me”.
Once I get to know someone well enough, I go straight for the phone number saying….5 minutes via phone or 2hrs via messenger (or likely 20 emails) lol
I don’t even use instant messengers anymore – it’s too much of a hassle.
A hassle for sure if it turns into a personal conversation, which is real easy…other then that though, it can still be much quicker then multiple emails.
Read this on my phone yesterday, Kim, and it made me smile. Then I couldn’t figure out how to Tweet it from there or comment and forgot to check it on the computer. My other side (Design Resumes) goes through all of those things too. I think what I dislike the most though is when people are unclear about their contacts with me. I don’t mind replying by e-mail, I have worked with you for several years and never spoke to you on the phone yet. But when there is a long answer or possible options to the answer, I wish they would leave a contact number and when a good time to call is. I hate playing e-mail tag, answering half a question which only creates more questions or more confusion. A call in those cases would clean up the mess.
I was going to call you out of the blue a couple of weeks ago just to say hi and then everything got all crazy with my teeth.
I had a reply today that asked me what time zone I was in and for my number when both pieces of info were in my previous email – it gets to be too much babysitting or hand holding or something.
People don’t even take the time to read what you write but expect you to take your time with them. To me Quick Question is something like, Are you free for lunch?
Suggestion for the complaints about brusqueness — and I wish I could do this but I couldn’t figure out how to get it to work — get a text macro program and record certain paragraphs. Then when someone asks if something is hard, you press alt-ctl-A or whatever and out comes your customized answer. Alt-ctl-B would be “I don’t have time for that so Google it!!!!!” etc.
PS – The phrase I don’t want to see is “if you don’t mind.”
Hi Dot – I try really hard to not work on the weekends. I love emails that come in on Sunday asking if I’m available for a call on Monday – they assume that I am checking me email. Chances are I won’t even see the request until Monday and usually Monday is planned out by the previous Thurs / Fri.
Great post, Kim. I still get emails occasionally where people use all caps for effect. I hate being “yelled at” via email that way. I’m also not a fan of the phrase “let’s touch base” in email or verbally. We’re not playing baseball here, people!
Hi Lauren – I don’t see all caps too much anymore but I do get frustrated with emails where I can’t even figure out what I am being asked.
Great post, I agree with all of these, but I’m afraid I’m still guilty of that first one. I hope I haven’t sent you too many messages with that dreaded and inaccurate word quick in the subject line. WDB (will do better)
Nancy
Hi Nancy – I don’t recall you doing that ;-)