Mailifesto
To improve and clarity and efficiency in communication, let's agree on some rules1 for emails:
The Rules
1. Single Topic
An email is not a todo list2 and you should keep it to a single, concise topic and generally as simple as possible.
This improves the ability to search for the email later and will improve the response time (and the probability to get an answer in the first place).
2. Clear Subject
Ideal: The Question asked (or answered) and the project or topic the question is a part of.
3. Keep it short
Nobody has time to waste. Three lines, two paragraphs, one question. And if possible, skip the first two parts.
4. Actionable
Either tell exactly what you need, or get the okay for what you are going to do.
5. YES / NO questions preferred
The quicker your recipient can respond with something that will solve the topic or question at hand, the better.
Don't ask Which, What, How Many, When etc. questions. Always ask for concrete values, so people can agree with a single yes or propose an alternative. You can even make yes the default: "If there are no objections, I will …"
6. Know your audience
Only include the people in the recipients list that need to know the information you provide or have the power to decide on your question.
7. Not everything should be an email
Information everybody must know or is beneficial for future employees too should not be caged in an email. Ideas a group of people need to comment on or discuss is not a good fit for email. Use a project management tool for those kinds of information, like, notion.so, Basecamp, etc.
Do's and don'ts
| Don't do … | Better is … | Why |
|---|---|---|
| What food should I buy for the meeting with client X? | Is it okay if I buy 20 donuts for the meeting with client X on Tuesday? | Can be answered with a single "yes", has a concrete proposal, and is due to the given date more precise. |
| Is it okay if I buy 20 donuts for the meeting with client X on Tuesday? | If there are no objections, I will buy 20 donuts for the meeting with client X on Tuesday. | Answered can be omitted, since "yes" is the default. |
| Subject: Question regarding icons | Subject: Can we change the icon for "Account" to a neutral outline of a bust? | Concrete question in the subject and the related project is mentioned. |
Email? Still? In 2020?
Yes, and it is a big and hearty YES! Email is universally adopted, available for every device imaginable, standardised and most important of all: asynchronous and not pushy. It has a lot of benefits over chat systems which constantly nag everyone and over wikis etc. which just get filled with short-lived and therefore mostly outdated information. Email is a good and powerful medium. Use it wisely.
Other places
The creators of Spark had a similar idea.