The Forge Guide to Slack, Email, and Video Calls
The Correct Way to Email
It’s still the best way to communicate professionally, but only if you follow these guidelines
Email is underrated.
Yes, it takes up too much of our workday — 3.1 hours on average, according to a 2018 survey. Yes, it adds stress to our off hours, thanks to endless push notifications. Yes, those 1,652 unread messages amount to a checklist that has been incomplete for literal years.
But unlike Slack or video conferencing, email lets you take a step back and actually consider your thoughts — an unusual advantage in these harried times. It is a space for artfulness and thoughtfulness, where it’s possible to stand out, to surprise people, to get attention.
It can also make you stand out in the wrong way, of course — see New York Times staffers Bret Stephens’ and Jonathan Weisman’s recent email disasters, and Don Jr.’s “If it’s what you say I love it.” Unlike Slack messages (which can be edited) or tweets (which can be deleted), once you hit “send” on an email, it’s out of your control. Missteps are not only easy to make but really hard to live down.
I’ve apprenticed under some true email ninjas in my career, and I’d like to think I’m well…
