ABSTRACT
It is always important to understand your company's e-mail policies and to keep in mind that e-mail is not confidential. It may be monitored and used as legal evidence. Here are some general guidelines for effective and professional use of e-mail.
When forwarding an e-mail message, include only the most relevant portions.
Forwarding a message to a large group of people is not always appropriate. When in doubt, ask the sender.
When you use a reply function, check to see whether the recipients who are listed automatically all need to receive the response.
E-mail may take seconds or hours to deliver, depending on the systems involved. A telephone call may be more suitable when time is a concern.
E-mail is for informal correspondence and communication and should not be used for the more formal business purposes.
E-mail delivery is not 100 percent certain. Confirm delivery by telephone or fax if the matter is urgent or important.
Avoid using e-speak (acronyms) or symbols (emoticons) in business e-mails.
If you don't have time to make a detailed response to a message, make sure you acknowledge receipt of the message and establish a time frame for a response.
Sending unnecessary e-mail takes attention away from important messages.
