CBS MoneyWatch recently published a quickie news brief that stated in essence that "office emails were useless. I strongly disagree, and I'll tell you why, but only if you read the article and come right back here [no dilly-dallying, either]. We'll save you some Skittles...
» Why most company emails are worthless
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Well. Now you've read it, and you know that some of it is sadly truth. But we need to clarify just exactly constitutes a legitimate company email before we wander too far afield.
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You can and should use emails, especially if they are prepared on custom stationery with a footer containing your communications coordinates and company affiliation (or sometimes an elaborate disclaimer in smaller font size print, which only adds more solemnity, gravitas and authority to your correspondence) if you first either text message or phone the recipient (whom you must know through prior contact or via third-party agency and advise that an email is going to be arriving, and if you are:
1) Sending invitations to a number of colleagues to share a tasteful and relevant video, picture, a link, an invitation to an event or to participate in a Humanitarian cause sanctioned by the organization;
2) Conducting a survey where colleagues will be directed to a third party anonymous survey site;
3) For important documents, such as minutes of meetings, contracts, financial arrangements and the like, where you would like a permanent record, and where you may wish to deliver the document and any attachments to several storage repositories for security's or safekeeping's sake;
4) For keeping a record of correspondence with someone in the company regarding an ongoing official issue;
5) For all correspondence with government regulatory agencies, vendors, suppliers, major customers regarding any issue of potential legal (civil or criminal) liability.
Other than that, email becomes an abuse. And remember: Don't EVER send information of a personal or non-corporate nature in your corporate email.
That's it!
Douglas E. Castle for The Sending Signals Blog
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