Enable A Compassionate Email Culture

We are all chasing the same elusive dream: an email inbox that is tidy, up-to-date, and empty. But let’s face it, inbox zero is difficult — and at times even impossible — to achieve.

- Adaira Landry And Resa E. Lewiss

No matter how many subfolders we create or newsletters to which we unsubscribe, the emails arrive, and the undertow pulls us beneath the current.

The instinct to manage only our personal inbox is insufficient. It’s time to flip the script on how we handle email. The secret? Focus on protecting other people’s inboxes rather than your own. The inversion may sound counterintuitive. But it’s effective — and when everyone does it, it leads to what we call a compassionate email culture, where teams work together to reduce the overall email traffic.

THE BASICS OF EMAIL ETIQUETTE

Protecting your colleagues’ inboxes starts with getting the basics right. Let’s review:

Curate and focus your recipient list before you hit send. Does everyone really need to be on the thread? Remove anyone unnecessary; they can always be added later.

Write succinctly and in an organized fashion. The content of every message should be clear and specific: What’s the question, the request you need approved, or the information you need to deliver? Apply situational awareness. Ask yourself: Does this conversation really need to happen over email?

These basics remain essential as we add strategic habits that will help your team move toward a compassionate email culture.

BE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT TIMING