Written communication is essential in the workplace because it ensures clarity, professionalism, and consistency. It also provides a permanent record of information and helps teams stay productive. Written communication comes in many forms such as memos, reports, and instant messaging and online chat (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams). I will focus on emails specifically because they are currently the most generally accepted and commonly used form of written communication in the workplace.
Let’s first talk about general email courtesy and structure.
Give a reasonable deadline for a reply. Your colleagues are prioritizing work tasks all day long, and you may not be their priority. You can help them know how important a timely response is by letting them know clearly in your email. But be careful: Emails denoted as urgent and high-priority should be rare. Your job is to be patient and give ample time to your recipients whenever possible.
Stay where you are. Although you might be tempted to walk over to a coworker and say, “I just emailed you about ,” this behavior misses the point of emails. Allow your colleagues to remain focused on their task at hand and to use their own skills and processes to continuously and efficiently prioritize new written requests without interruption.
Avoid email war. Regardless of how combative an email in your inbox might seem, don’t engage in “war” with anyone through email. The war will never end, and the proof of that war—and the words used—are permanent. A short, courteous response is the best way to go. “I understand your concerns. Let’s set up a time to discuss the issues.”
Follow up important verbal discussions. One of the best ways to use email is to summarize and memorialize in-person discussions and meetings. This practice used to be accomplished with written or typed memos, and memoranda may still be used in your organization. But nowadays, emails are usually preferred as a quick way of documenting what was said, agreed to, actions required, et cetera. Emails also ensure that everyone has the opportunity to ask for clarification on a given matter so that ultimately the entire team winds up on the same page.
Let people rest on the weekends, holidays, and their days off. If you’re working on the weekend, good for you! But don’t send emails to your boss or coworkers over the weekend if the matter can wait. You wouldn’t call them over the weekend unnecessarily, and even though emails are not the same as a phone call, almost everyone receives work emails on their phone with a notification sound, so it’s still an interruption of their personal time.
Use a professional font. Times New Roman or Garamond and a point size of 11 or 12 are standard and acceptable fonts. Limit underlining, bold, italics, and color-coding; never use ALL CAPS; and refrain from using emojis, images, or other unprofessional inserts.
Now let’s talk about basic email content.
Address lines: Using the correct “To,” “Cc,” and “Bcc” fields helps everyone quickly see what’s expected of them, prioritize their tasks, and respond without confusion or wasted time.
“To”—The main people you’re addressing who are expected to read and take action on the message or are directly involved in the topic.
“Cc”—The people who need to be informed but aren’t required to act. The carbon copy is used more sparingly than “To.”
“Bcc”—People who receive the message without others knowing they did. The blind carbon copy is very rare and can be considered sneaky by some, so, quite frankly, I recommend not using it at all.
Subject line: Summarize the email’s purpose in concise, specific language. You may also add “Pls. reply” to the beginning of the subject line so recipients know a reply is needed.
Opening salutation: Use a professional salutation, such as “Dear Jim” or “Hi, Jim” (if it’s appropriate to be so familiar with Jim).
Written communication is essential in the workplace because it ensures clarity, professionalism, and consistency. It also provides a permanent record of information.
Body: Write concise and to-the-point content for the purpose of the email and any next steps, including requests or deadlines.
Keep the seven C’s in mind.
Closing salutation: Use a professional closing salutation, such as “Thank you” or “Sincerely.”
Signature: Include your name, title, and contact information along with company logo and any required disclaimers.
Always keep in mind that your colleagues’ and customers’ time is valuable and limited. Many people who open a lengthy email will close it immediately, with the intent to
read it later, but that may end up being never. Follow these basic email recommendations and you can feel assured that your email will be opened, read, and addressed.
Before closing, let me add a note about emails and AI. Artificial intelligence has revolutionized email writing by making communication faster, clearer, and more professional. AI tools use natural language processing to suggest wording, correct grammar, adjust tone, and summarize long email threads, all of which allows the employee to focus on content and strategy rather than mechanics. However, overreliance on automation can make emails sound robotic.
A good approach is to use AI to assist with your email structure and clarity, while ensuring your final message reflects your authentic voice and professionalism. Write like the professional human that you are, not like a polite robot.
Always proofread before hitting Send, and learn to use AI tools to build and polish your message, but don’t let AI replace your own voice.
Final Thoughts
Writing skills are critical because written documentation, including email, is where professionalism meets permanence. Make it count, and help your recipients manage their response. Avoid unprofessional content (such as emojis) and email warfare.
Very truly yours,
Aunt Anna
