TheMiddleShelf.com

Electronic mail.  Who doesn’t love it?  It’s quick, efficient and –let’s be honest — allows us to be somewhat removed from the person on the other end.  But that doesn’t mean you throw professional courtesy and etiquette out the window when using e-mail to communicate with those around you.  In fact, you should pay close attention to your e-mail habits and determine that you are sending the right message with each click of the mouse.  Read on for a few tips on how to keep your e-mail goofs to a minimum:

• Make sure your subject line is relevant and meaningful to the body of the e-mail.

• Don’t shout! Remember that using ALL CAPS is shouting your message.  Be respectful and use regular sentence case.

• Limit your use of the “urgent” tag.  You don’t want to be known as the person whose e-mail is always an emergency.

• Avoid texting lingo and emoticons.  Spell out words and don’t rely on abbreviations.

• Avoid long sentences and paragraphs.  Try not to exceed 20 words per sentence.

• Avoid distracting fonts and colors.  Make sure the text is easily visible.

• Attach with caution.  Be aware that large attachments can slow down someone’s system.  Compress files when possible.  Double-check that you have attached only what you intend to send.

• Reply quickly.  When possible, return an e-mail within 24 hours.

• Read before you send.  It’s always a good idea to proofread and spell check what you wrote.

• Signatures can be fun and unique, but keep them short.

Most importantly,  don’t assume privacy.  Unless you are Donald Trump, praise in public, and criticize in private.  Don’t send anything over e-mail that you wouldn’t want posted — with your name attached — in the break room or online.