Can People Learn How To Write Good E-mails?

I believe communicating via e-mail (I mean good and efficient communication) is something people can learn. But, some persons might not be as diligent as others (as a personality trait).

Should businesses help their employees by providing them workshops or documentation?

In my humble opinion, businesses (or startups) that use e-mails as their primary communication medium should take any cost-effective measures to optimize their communications. Communicating is a process (a critical process). Good communication will smoothen other processes, reduce conflicts, boost the performance of your employees and even make their happier.

Workshops or documentation is a good first step, but the best way to teach your team is by example. Leaders always do their best to communicate effectively by e-mail. Their e-mails should be:

  • clear, concise and strait to the point;
  • complete, well structured and well written;
  • important (sadly, too many sent e-mails are useless).

Quoting the great mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662) : « I made this [letter] very long, because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter ». We need to take the time to optimize our written communications and, most of all, give the right example to follow.

Do you know good techniques to make e-mail communication more efficient. What is a good e-mail for you?

There is a section about writing good e-mails in Scott Berkun‘s book Making Thing Happen.