Many businesses use email for the bulk of internal communications. Focus on one topic per message to make following up easier.
Among the many emails that I get each day, the ones that are a jumble or mish-mash of a million ideas are the ones I deal with last. My favorite emails are the ones that list a single purpose in the subject line, and stick to it. It makes it much easier to organize the information and prioritize my tasks.
Email Tip: Pigeonhole Your Messages
Internal business emails often don't follow this rule. Their authors come up with related ideas and questions and the messages become much broader. It is much better to write an email with laser focus, making a note if a related question pops into your head. Your supervisors, coworkers, and clients will all be able to respond more effectively if each email thread is narrowed down to a single topic.
Narrow Focus Aids Organization of Emails
By putting one topic in each message, you may find yourself writing a whole lot more emails than you used to. The effects on your inbox as the replies come in may be intimidating at first. However, single-focus emails have benefits that outweigh the increased number of messages.
- Replies can be written more quickly with only a single topic
- Organization is a breeze if you don't have to ask the question, "What folder would I look in if I wanted to find this email again?"
- Narrow focus encourages recipients to stay on topic.
Single topic emails are the most efficient way to use this medium in a business environment. Nobody has time for a rambling, poorly organized email.
