Email and Teams Etiquette
Email and Teams are valuable tools that enable us to communicate with one another, regardless of our physical location. However, these tools lose their effectiveness if over-used or used improperly.
Outlined below are some basic guidelines to assist employees in maximizing the effective use of email and Teams.
This video provides a humourous look at some of the frustrations that we all experience with email on a day-to-day basis.
When preparing to write and send an email, please consider the following:
WHO
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Who is the audience for the email and why are they the audience? Does everyone on the distribution list need to receive this email?
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While the number has decreased significantly over the past year, we continue to see too many “All NTPC” emails, which leads to inefficiency and clogged inboxes. A prime example is sending an email message to All-NTPC indicating that you will be away on duty travel or annual leave rather than sending an email to a targeted group that needs to know and plan accordingly. It is more efficient to use Outlook’s Automatic Reply (Out of Office) tool to inform the broader workforce people that you are unavailable during a specific period of time. To activate the Automatic Reply in Outlook, go to File/Automatic Reply and fill in the appropriate dates. For more information, please visit on Powerline.
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Proceed with caution when using “Reply All,” and only use it when everyone in that thread needs to be updated.
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Listing someone in the “To” field means you expect a response. In contrast, if you CC that person, you’re simply keeping them in the loop on your message to others.
WHAT/WHY
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What do you want the people receiving your email to know? There is limited value to sending emails with lengthy attachments to a large number of people without the sender of the email taking the time to summarize what is in the attachment that recipients need to know. The individual receiving the email can then decide if the summary provides them with sufficient information or if they should open and read the attachment.
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Make sure that your message be as concise as possible and contains a clear ask or action item. Whether you are requesting a co-worker’s opinion on something or looking for details about a particular project or issue, you need to have a solid reason for emailing -- and you also need to make that reason explicit.
If there is no action required of the recipient and you’re simply emailing to provide information, make that clear as well. People need to walk away from your email knowing what’s expected of them.
WHEN
- Timing of emails needs to be taken into consideration. When an email is being sent that requires the recipient to provide feedback or take some type of action, we need to let them clearly know when this needs to happen so they can prioritize and plan their work accordingly. Additionally, provide a reasonable amount of time for people to complete the required action.
QUALITY OF COMMUNICATION/EMAIL
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Prior to hitting send, please ensure that you have considered the points above and that your email and attachments have been proof-read. Spelling and grammar mistakes in an email do not project the level of professionalism that we desire.
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Get in the habit of attaching your file before you create the body of your email. This helps avoid the follow-up “here’s the attachment” email.
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While courtesy “thank-you” emails are great, they can clutter up inboxes. Unless there is a desire to recognize an effort that goes beyond what we all should be doing in the normal course of our duties, please consider whether a “thank you” email is always necessary.
- Remember to turn off your “Out of Office” message when you return to work. The same holds true for your “Out of Office” voice mail.
Teams
Having offices and plants all across the NWT, NTPC relies on Teams for meetings involving employees in different geographic locations. Meetings could be much more productive if participants avoid the behaviours identified in the attached video.
Some basic etiquette will ensure more effective Teams meetings:
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Ensure you are calling in from an area free of significant background noise
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Whenever possible, call in from a land line or computer as these generally result in a higher quality call than calls from cell phones
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Be aware of whether your phone is on mute. The general rule is to mute your phone until you are speaking.
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Avoid sidebar conversations as they can be very distracting for those participating by phone. This is a good rule to follow whether it is a Teams meeting or not.
- The meeting Chair should direct “verbal traffic” – if two or more people attempt to speak at the same time, the meeting Chair should immediately step in and indicate the order of speaking
If we all follow these basic guidelines for email and Skype etiquette, we should see an increase in efficiency, a decrease in frustration and a more productive organization.