MEPX
Chapter 2 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Being understood
  2. 2Email and messages
  3. 3Tone in writing
  4. 4Conversations that decide things
  5. 5Listening
  6. 6Giving feedback
  7. 7Difficult conversations
  8. 8Communicating upward
  9. 9Remote and asynchronous work
  10. 10Working across differences

Chapter 2 of 10

Email and messages

Respecting attention.

Structure

A subject line that says the topic and whether action is needed, one purpose per message, and the request visible without scrolling.

  • Put the owner in To and observers in copy.
  • Bullet separate asks so none is missed.

Choosing the channel

Chat for quick coordination, email for a record, a document for anything with substance, a call for anything sensitive. Sending the wrong type is a common cause of misreading.