When e-mail backfires

It's no surprise that most professional communicators rely heavily on e-mail. Think about it - when was the last time you snail mailed a news release, and how often do you use your fax machine?

I am sure most of you have experienced that moment of anxiety when the computer network is down (or worse, you're in the midst of a BlackBerry or Florida Power & Light outage) and you don't know what to do with yourself.

E-mail does become addictive, and some employers are telling employees they can't use e-mail on specific days. As a heavy e-mail user, I know I sometimes rely too much on e-mail communication, and it's not unusual to see a friend or colleague send a misfired, misinterpreted e-mail, and I have been guilty of this in the past, too. For instance, I was copied on an intense e-mail between two peers the other day. It made me think about a few informal ground rules that I try to follow to keep me out of e-trouble.

1. Don't let e-mail completely replace "warm" methods of communication like phone calls and face to face meetings. Sure, e-mail can save a lot of time, but the five, 10 or 30 minutes saved is not always worth it when you could strengthen a personal connection or come up with a new or better idea by chatting with someone.

2. Tough conversations and difficult news should usually not start with an e-mail. It may seem easier to gather and send your thoughts in writing, but this eliminates the give-and-take that you get with a two-way conversation.

3. If you must confront someone via e-mail, set it aside for at least a few minutes and come back to it. If possible, have a trusted colleague read your e-mail before you send it for a fresh set of eyes.

4. Brevity is power. I find the most effective e-mails are a maximum of three to four short paragraphs (or a series of bullet points and numbered lists).

5. Think before you "reply to all" or freely add dozens of unnecessary people to your distribution. Sophisticated junk mail filters give users the option to turn off certain users' e-mails altogether.

6. E-mail is instant, but it does not guarantee you'll get an instant response (nor does it guarantee you'll get any response). If you ever wonder why someone hasn't responded to your important e-mail, you should probably just pick up the phone and eliminate the mystery and frustration.

There are a bevy of articles on e-mail etiquette (including a great one on about.com) that support the need to treat it as a serious and sometimes risky method of communication.
What tips have you learned about e-mail along the way? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.