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I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

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Re: I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

#51

Post by mfringel »

account0099099 wrote: post #40

This doesn't work. I've gotten many bad reviews, because people thought I was being "curt" or "mean" because I was replying to their question with short replies. None, of my emails were intended to be mean, I just didn't see the point in fluffing up my emails, and only responded with the required information, but I guess people require the fluff or they get their feelings hurt.

Alternately, your definition of "fluff" was everyone else's definition of "required communication." A short reply can still be ambiguous, which requires clarification, which then wastes time.

Given your many bad reviews, do you think it might be worthwhile to revisit your data?

Re: I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

#54

Post by czardoz »

EGreg wrote: post #34
hnrodey wrote: post #7

Rules for good emails 1. Keep the message as short as necessary but no shorter. 2. Put the most important information at the top of the message. 3. If it email is for an ask, call out from who you need the response and put it at the top of the message. 4. If you need to send a long email with many details, put the most important information at the top (ie. what the reader needs to know) and then fill in the body with…

For #1, what I have found works best is to nix the huge amount of text you'd otherwise write in the email and put it in a link. A document maybe, or better yet a beautiful portal that works on desktop and mobile. That way the email is short AND the link can be reshared!

You lose the ability to search though. And then you've to worry about whether document was on Dropbox, Google Drive or just a link somewhere.

Re: I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

#56

Post by sdenton4 »

hnrodey wrote: post #7

Rules for good emails 1. Keep the message as short as necessary but no shorter. 2. Put the most important information at the top of the message. 3. If it email is for an ask, call out from who you need the response and put it at the top of the message. 4. If you need to send a long email with many details, put the most important information at the top (ie. what the reader needs to know) and then fill in the body with…

I dunno, dude, I'm kinda looking the two-word reply style in the article. My suggested Verizon of the message here would be

"Hey Jane; let's 1:1."

Or, if you think face to face communication is a waste of time,

"Hey Jane; pick one for Friday: feature 123 or bug xyz?"

Re: I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

#57

Post by turc1656 »

Why would a link like this be on HN? It's Buzzfeed. The same people that bring you those quizzes like "Answer these food questions and we'll tell you which Power Ranger you are". I can't take this article seriously and I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to.

Although, I do have a new unread email goal. I just assumed I was the world champion. Didn't realize I was already being bested by the guy with 150k unread. That's roughly double mine. I have a long way to go. Need to figure out how to get myself on some more bullshit distribution lists so that I can compete.

Re: I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

#58

Post by splittingTimes »

I started to follow this approach [1] 6 month ago and it is amazing how much clearer my own thoughts in communication have become.

1. Subjects with keywords. The subject clearly states the purpose of the email, and specifically, what you want them to do with your note. Keywords: ACTION, SIGN, INFO, DECISION, REQUEST, COORD

2. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF). Lead your emails with a short, staccato statement that declares the purpose of the email and action required. The BLUF should quickly answer the five W’s: who, what, where, when, and why. An effective BLUF distills the most important information for the reader.

3. Be economical. Short emails are more effective than long ones, so try to fit all content in one pane, so the recipient doesn’t have to scroll. use active voice, so it’s clear who is doing the action. If an email requires more explanation, you should list background information after the BLUF as bullet points so that recipients can quickly grasp your message. Link to attachments rather than attaching files. This will likely provide the most recent version of a file. Also, the site will verify that the recipient has the right security credentials to see the file, and you don’t inadvertently send a file to someone who isn’t permitted to view it.

===

[1] https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-to-write-email-with-military-pre...

Re: I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

#59

Post by sdenton4 »

donquichotte wrote: post #41
arbie wrote: post #33

This article desperately needs a TL;DR.

She started writing shorter and more concise emails (but, alas, not shorter and more concise articles) and liked it.

Spend your time where the money is. Journalists aren't paid at the end of the day for their email word counts... And, probably, neither are you.

Re: I tried emailing like a CEO and it made my life better

#60

Post by froindt »

turc1656 wrote: post #57

Why would a link like this be on HN? It's Buzzfeed. The same people that bring you those quizzes like "Answer these food questions and we'll tell you which Power Ranger you are". I can't take this article seriously and I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to. Although, I do have a new unread email goal. I just assumed I was the world champion. Didn't realize I was already being bested by the guy with 150k unread. That's…

>Answer these food questions and we'll tell you which Power Ranger you are.

You just reminded me how glad I am that I aggressively hid every upworthy, clickify, clickhole, and buzzfeed from Facebook. It's somewhat tolerable that way.

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