Email Better

One thing I think most churches struggle with is communication. On the institutional end, churches often fail to get information out in a timely way to the people that need it the most. And on the receiving end, members sometimes fail to receive the information once it's put out there. Suffice to say, I've never heard of a church that "overcommunicated" or had an A+ in this area.

One area I am interested in improving in is e-mail [Does anyone still use the dash in e-mail anymore?]. How can we do it better? How can we use it more effectively? And, especially, how can it be used faithfully in service of the Gospel?

One book that I have found very helpful is Send by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe. They do two things in one volume: 1) analyze the pitfalls and common mistakes people make with email and 2) give suggestions for how to email better. Rather than provide a complete review, I'd like to share some insights--at least what I remember--from when I read it several months ago.

1. Use the subject line. Most people seriously underestimate the importance of a good subject line. The key rule: consider the recipient. Just because it makes sense to you doesn't mean it will make sense to them. Consider your relationship with the person receiving the message and the kind of response your are hoping for. Caution: using the words "urgent" or "important," especially when in all caps or with a dozen exclamation marks will generally insure that your message will not be treated as such.

2. One item per message. I confess to transgressing this far too often. The temptation is to include everything you are thinking of, rather than thinking how it will be received. Again, begin with the recipient in mind. Unlike handwritten letters, the beauty of email is that you can send multiple messages (with good subject lines, of course).

3. Keep it brief. I once saw a website that suggested that most email messages can be accomplished in two to five sentences. If you are going on longer than a few sentences, you probably need to either (A) send the information as an attachment or (B) pick up the phone. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I am amazed at how many messages can be only a few sentences long.

4. If your blood pressure rises, wait. I have burned myself on this one too many times. My rule now is this: If If I have even the slightest emotional reaction to a message, I wait at least 24 hours before responding. The more intense my initial reaction, the more likely I will respond with a phone call or a face-to-face conversation. Chances are that you were reading far too much into the sender's intent to begin with.

5. Email is never a substitute for good face-to-face communication. We know this and yet we seldom practice it. Face-to-face conversations take time, but are far better in the long run. So much of what we want to communicate comes through body language and our tone of voice, both of which get missed in e-conversations. This becomes more important the less close you are with the person. Good friends can e-argue with the best of them, but new acquaintances should tread more lightly.

6. Address the sender personally and sign it personally. I cannot overemphasize the importance of "Dear [Name]," and "Sincerely, [Your Name]." It takes just a few seconds. Just do it.

That's what I remember. What frustrations do you have with email--or with communication in general?