8 Email Etiquette Tips - How to Write Better Emails at Work

Learning the unspoken rules for writing professional emails can improve how competent you appear in the eyes of colleagues.
00:00 Why bother with email etiquette?
01:19 Include CTA in subject line
02:13 One email thread per topic
02:48 Manage recipients
03:27 Start with the main point
04:30 Summarize in your reply
05:10 Hyperlink whenever possible
05:38 Change default setting to "Reply" (not "Reply all")
06:06 Change undo send options
In this HBR collaboration with KZbin creator Jeff Su ( / jeffsu , you'll learn how to better organize your communications and avoid a lot of rookie mistakes that can lead to embarrassment or worse.
Follow us:
hbr.org/
/ harvard-business-review
/ hbr
/ harvardbiz
/ harvard_business_review
Sign up for Newsletters: hbr.org/email-newsletters
#HarvardBusinessReview #Email #Etiquette

[@trinitygao3418]

That 30-second undo Gmail rule simply saved my life!

[@Jeff-yq6qr]

Talk about being less stressed about being cautious not to hit send accidentally! Love it.

[@tural.ahmatov]

I just always send scheduled mails. Gives me time to review before sent + looks cool to send precisely at 9.00 or 10.30 :)

[@techaddictdude]

Why did you accidentally send nudes to someone?

[@DukeAshvin]

Even for me too - Gmail Undo Sent !

[@osedanielusifoh340]

Beginning with the action required, then adding context at the end of an email is a new one for me, and makes so much sense.

[@nargiskhatun43]

What do you think about AI email or article copywrite tools? I think it can escalate your work time. If you are interested let me know.

[@xPentag0n]

You can look up the Pyramid Principles the book describes detailed how to write specific texts

[@jainamshah4819]

Absolutely True 👍

[@ayushtyagi8291]

Same here. Totally agree.

[@GB-TX]

Shockingly excellent - so accurate!

[@jihancessar7156]

"Summarize in your reply" is my favorite one. It makes you a bit organized and professional.

[@sirena7116]

Not only that, but it impresses the recipient because you read their email in detail.

[@jenkinsj9224]

@@sirena7116 But if the recipient happens to a boomer boss, he would think you are an a$$hole and would ask why the *uck you sent me back the same mail😂

[@roxanne_george]

Yes, I did this a few times too in the past and was surprised how well it was received.

[@JeffSu]

Thanks for having me HBR 😁

[@phoebeq6331]

As your fan from the beginning, seeing u partner with HBR makes me feel so prooooud!

[@JeffSu]

@@phoebeq6331 thanks Phoebe!

[@prakharaug]

Thanks Jeff for the awesome content 😍

[@ankitasaxena5891]

Hyperlink suggestion was awesome. Wished I had seen this earlier. You gained one subscriber today 🎉

[@JeffSu]

@@ankitasaxena5891 awesome! Glad to hear it Ankita 😁

[@samantharouth7229]

I am a wordy writer in emails, but the call to action first and then context, along with the main info on the email header is my big take aways! Thank you so much for the great tips and tricks. Great learning expereince!!

[@stacysimmons6042]

Samantha, this made me chuckle: "I am a wordy writer in emails..." the use of 7 words to describe yourself as wordy. CLASSIC. We both hold tickets to the same show! Be well =)

[@andrewasonibare]

@@stacysimmons6042 I refuse to raise my hand in this room. lol. I even started to just be quiet in WhatsApp group chats and all because I just tend to be verbose. I see a great angle and I want everyone to just see it in technicolor as I do. While I have some raving fans of my clarity of thinking and presentation, apparently, not everyone gives a hoot. Am I doing it again? Oh well... Hi, I'm Andrew and I'm a verbaholic :)

[@andrewasonibare]

@Samantha Routh :) Great learning experience!! CONTEXT: I am a wordy writer in emails, but the call to action first and then context, along with the main info on the email header is my big take away! Thank you so much for the great tips and tricks.

[@achieving.excellence]

Considering the volume of emails we read on a daily basis - this type of email etiquette would save so much time and effort if emails are structured in this way. Thank you!

[@ninjamiann]

I usually just schedule send of +3mins so I can have a longer "undo send" because murphy's law in the workplace is very real

[@sssbhati]

Totally relatable.!!

[@cinnamon5187]

How do you do that in Gmail? It only gives you a Max of 30s?

[@omkarrajebhosale4153]

@@cinnamon5187 schedule send

[@sigma_z]

As a Principle Architect, I have mine is set to +365 days.

[@kirstyann]

Amazing!!! Going to totally do that

[@noumaan]

As a remote team, we mostly use Slack. Some of the email etiquettes apply to Slack too. Would be nice to have a separate video on Slack etiquettes.

[@JonathanBaillieStrong]

THIS!!!!

[@houdasbaa4368]

Yes we use Teams , and this could be helpful to us! Thank you so much for all your advice!

[@saronighosh25]

Love the 30sec undo rule, calling out the action required upfront followed by the context and the idea of adding a specific CTA (beyond just action required) in the subject title. Thanks Jeff for these actionable tips.

[@runwaychick7]

I really like the addressing the main concern and THEN adding context!

[@alexk8903]

What I really appreciate is when coworkers have an appropriate signature block with all contact information and titles. Especially in lengthy chain emails.

[@pavithren]

The most useful takeaways for me. The tip about prioritizing the action items and moving context to later part of the email + CTA In subject. Thanks Jeff and HBR!

[@alabatavictor74]

FOR MORE DETAILS OF THE VIDEO zeep.ly/iXCI6

[@caedengoering]

This is LEGIT. Thanks for the info. I’ve done the generic action required, but I love the specified tip. I also love the explanation of new member/removal of members, as well as giving the request up front, and context second.

[@Wyfind]

My biggest tip: Add line breaks and consider bolding. It takes a lot of time to treasure hunt through one large block of text

[@RickVigil-mh8wz]

I absolutely LOVE the tip to include the main point/ask first, then the context! I'll implement immediately, thank you! Such great info.

[@JeanJohn]

Tip 2 is my favourite, been using it since I started my first job. It keeps everything organised in my mail box and I can easily find previous mails. I recently talked to my team about it because they preferred sending multiple mails on a single topic. I also like tip 6 - hyperlinks, ever since I discovered CTRL+K, I bade goodbye to long links in my mails. Thank you for sharing Jeff, I didn’t know about tip 8 on Gmail.

[@geoffscott5066]

I thought I knew how to write businesss email until now. I will apply most of these tips from now on. Thank you!

[@geasaw]

Very helpful tips. Changing default reply to SENDER instead of REPLY TO ALL was useful for me. Also changing the UNDO SEND OPTION to 30 s was great help, avoiding lot of embarrassment and improving clarity. Thanks a ton .. 🙂

[@yuntingtan5855]

Dang! thank you!!! The last tip is my fav , but really, the two last tips were a lifesaver and the “action then context” helps me get confidence that I need to lean towards this style as I have been using both action-context and context-action. Thank YOU Jeff and HBR for this much needed content

[@bobbirowlett6728]

I think my favorite is to add a subject line with action item noted. Close second to that is noting people you add or remove from the thread and why. I tend to group my message as you stated, but the tips you offered will make it even better. Thank you!

[@aslgoofy3889]

I just found your channel! I love the undo to 30 seconds, and moving the action item to the top. From another video I watched, i liked the 1:1 meeting agenda/action items/notes feature. I actually have stopped your videos to make those changes and templates immediately! This info is invaluable! Thank you and I am sure my boss and employees thank you, too!

[@AD-hb6zl]

That undo setting to 30 sec. is a life-saver! Thanks HBR and Jeff!

[@hongngoctrinh677]

I love the undo tips as we usually realize the mistakes after hitting the send button. Thank you so much for all these helpful tips!

[@w.w.sakbeh571]

Congratulations on the HBR collaboration, Jeff!

[@AliHassan-bn4ri]

Awesome video. My favourite part is the importance of providing main point or raising a core question first and providing the context later. This truly gives reader the opportunity to continue reading or not.

[@derekroh4785]

Linking the setting, and have 30 seconds to change the e-mail were my favorites. thank you.

[@camillecunningham7361]

FEEDBACK: All Tips are new and important for me to implement. Thank you!!

[@natalieyuen7719]

Love the partnership with HBR!! And I will vote for "Summarize in the reply" with your video link shared 🤣🤣🤣

[@mercurious6699]

Loved the suggestion to change the default to 'reply' - so simple, so useful. Thank you!

[@Jeff-yq6qr]

I definitely like #4 the most and I've actually be thinking about doing this in my sales emails for quite some time. I haven't been sure if it's too uncomfortably straight forward or not, but It makes sense, though.. get to the "ask" first and then color it with context later. Even when I read emails, I automatically go to the bottom to see what the "ask" is, and then go back up to read the context.

[@inkhotel]

Love this, Jeff! Some tips I already practice (e.g. summarizing a long-winded note in my reply), but the new-to-me one is stating the need first, with context following. Using it already.

[@pandancake683]

Those examples were gold. Loving the thought put into them!

[@alexisabakasanga]

I love how he smiles and pushes forward the information, very informative video!

[@rolandstaton4473]

I appreciate the entire video. Action then context is my favorite part.

[@iemaj]

The context part is very good . I'll definitely do that.

[@marietjiegeldenhuys4539]

Such sensible tips! The call to action in subject line and the "ask" first with context provided as secondary information

[@TheJosephSim]

just started a new job - last week I was watching your CV tips - you're a lifesaver Jeff

[@uero-ro]

I appreciate how this video about how communicate well via email was communicated to us well with a clearly structured video formatted with introductory overview and segmented sections with timestamps.

[@ksmith1964]

Ikr? It's Excellence on so many levels! ☺️☺️☺️

[@Leon_George]

You are Brilliant! I struggle with all these social etiquette things, and having someone lay it out for me, is so invaluable.

[@sanupdivakaran]

The last and the final one "Change undo send" is the one which I always looks as my preventive measure whenever I am dealing with professional emails and thus that is one of my fav ❤

[@GB-TX]

I almost rolled my eyes at this email, thinking I didn't need to listen because I'm a solid email-writer.... but this man just blew my mind! I'm humbled! Great advice across the board. They seem so simple and obvious and yet, rarely do people use these tips. But boy would I appreciate/and be more responsive if they did!

[@joytolentino779]

Hi Jeff, what I liked is the changing of the period of sending to 30 seconds, it is a new idea and a very helpful one too. Thanks. I like organizing topics and ways not to WORK HARD BUT WORK SMART content.

[@ijaen]

For complex emails I have trained my teams in the past on this: every complex email that needs a clear outcome needs: WHAT needs to be done. WHO is responsible of doing it. WHY it needs to be done, for context or training for new starters. WHEN or deadlines and sometimes HOW the task needs to be done to meet expectations. Emails don’t need to be long, need to be clear. A very long email should be a memo.

[@alabatavictor74]

FOR MORE DETAILS OF THE VIDEO zeep.ly/iXCI6

[@chinleepek]

Thanks for sharing, Jeff! One of the email etiquette which I usually use is manage recipients and found it very useful and important. Sometime I do summarization of emails as I find it is important for me to ensure I am actually responding correctly in things that matters.

[@RendiMahendra]

Tip no.1 amaze me about how easy i can add the simple to do in my subject email to help my mail recipient to understand what i want them to do 😀. Thank you!

[@catherinemacgloye4679]

Thanks for sharing! The 30-seconds undo will definitely come in handy.

[@sanikahahahah]

Such an informative video! I've always been making the mistake of summarizing before arriving at the main topic - I learnt a thing or two about context today!

[@andreambuguah]

Thank you, I'll include the main point first and then context moving forward. I love your reply for a confusing email - the action items and recap.

[@AerielFerguson]

I thought I had email etiquette covered....I too learned the hard way after making mistakes at my 1st job. To my defence I was 19 and didnt know emails were a big thing in the workplace. But that point abt putting the call to action upfront and then giving the context is something Im gonna adapt since Ive been the one to generally explain before I ask for something.

[@andywilliams1055]

Apart from the great content, there are so many little things to admire in this video, such as the pop-up comments, transitions and little sound effects. Bravo and thank you 🙂

[@fungboy3]

Definitely tip 1 and 2 . I noticed by changing the call to action the responses I got generally were faster and straight to the point from budget holders

[@mukulpanchakarla8944]

The undo send and context separation are helpful. Thanks!

[@mjoeuson]

I’ve been so nervous about my new job, and I literally feel like your videos are saving my life lol THANK YOU!! God sent.

[@mokamotobuilders1499]

This is very helpful! Thank you! My favorite is the "Include CTA in the subject line" and the "Change undo send options".

[@Nickabod79]

At my first big girl job in academe I wrote polite emails using many of these tips. I got dinged on my performance review for being curt in my emails. 20 years later, I feel vidicated. Thank you.

[@sahilsinghal9472]

Action required at the beginning of the email and improving the subject line are my two favourites.

[@fernandocarrillomiranda504]

im going to make all my company employee’s watch this video before they start working for me. This helped me so much and, using this type of ettiquete makes everything way more clean and understandable. Communication is everything!!!

[@ZeeshanMohammad-bi8kc]

Indeed, Clearly segregating the action required followed by the context helped & it really had worked as well to get the recipient's attention .

[@mcartxca1990]

The undo time setting is the best thing I've learned since please and thank you!

[@Max-es4xe]

Adding context second is a game changer. I am always emailing clients feeling the need to add the info up front so they say yes to the ask. But it makes sense that they wouldn't care as much

[@williamsims383]

I love this video, his energy is so pure and focused. Came here three times.

[@uniquekelvin]

My take away is the idea of beginning with the action required and then the context. Secondly the 30 seconds undo rule is also new to me. Perfect video, I learnt a lot.

[@shresthabhowmik2480]

Gonna totally apply the 30 second undo. It's a life-saver.

Fantastic content! When you are a novice and just want to send your email appropriately, email etiquette or norms are helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@Nanna77726]

This is so helpful. I am about to start a new job focusing on emails, and I have watched this twice through. Thanks Jeff!!

[@mariamaldonado8842]

Love this partnership with HBR!!! Jeff is the best

[@kayodeodeyemi4397]

Changing my "undo send" from 5 to 30 seconds was the most helpful tip. Thanks

[@mahesh26sai]

This video is a testament that I have been writing good emails all these days

[@piyushbhatt.official]

Thank You Jeff for giving a valuable video on such an important topic which is must know for every individual and unfortunately schools don't teach us these things. My Fouvorite Point: Use hyper links instead of pasting long links. THANK YOU

[@paris.granville]

I'm so glad you got Jeff Su to do this video. I would love more.

[@karlaarce51]

The team collaboration feature is one of my favorites. It promotes healthy collaboration without sharing your credentials. Plus, the tag management system makes email selection a walk in the park!

[@ProducedByStatus]

Short, concise video with a lot of really strong examples and information. Way to go! 💯

[@gautey100]

Undo Send is my favorite one. Didn’t know it existed until I saw your video. Thanks!

[@emirarefa]

Start with action required and context is helpful! Also summarizing in reply is great Thank you for the tips!

[@theNeonfrequency]

I really like the context separation technique that is super-efficient.

[@carolbatistamed]

Great video! Already the sumarizes reply, and loved the call to action on the subject

[@senthilnathanssn]

The video is really good, I would like to add 1 more tip: If the email chain keeps expanding to multiple recipients & DLs , the responder can remove unnecessary participants from the email chain because that would save a lot of time.

[@999nico]

The "Context" Part is great!

[@tamphan5910]

I also agree 👌

[@999nico]

@@tamphan5910 I have already used it in my emails today!

[@MK-uh2lx]

Reply all is changed to Reply as the default. That is my favorite. Thanks for all the tips!

[@katflp]

Awesome tips! Regarding tip#6: as an IT member, we often see a huge amount of spam/phishing emails where the embedded link takes you somewhere like a fake website or some other malware related link. We actually forbid clicking on embedded links and require the user to copy and paste the text into the web browser. Maybe you can adjust that tip for the future with security in mind? Just a thought.

[@RyuWeiWei]

Loved these practical tips! Thank you!

[@davidcesarino]

I never thought about CTA in topic and managing recipients in the beginning of email. As for the undo, like other people here I always schedule important emails to avoid missing the undo deadline. As for the other things, I normally do these already, and I especially like the "action first, context later" because I love to have the _option_ to read or not what may not interest me. I wish other people did that!

[@Mr999joker999]

The undo option is definitely the best one for me . Much appreciated !

[@gjaeigjiajeg]

Wow this is quite helpful. That action item followed by context was the biggest take away. Funny that I've never thought of that even when as a recipient, I'm constantly peeved at wordy emails. Up till now, my solution was always to keep an email less than 5 lines long. Thanks for this.

[@Gurumohan_EBC]

Hi There, This content of yours was very informative and helpful, personally I always summarised the emails into action item and context of the email.

[@aryan2286]

It’s like how to write a good letter that used to be the most prevalent method of communication before email and most of these information can be found in any English grammar book, but it’s good to be reminded of these little things through an illustrative video.

[@nehagupta8473]

Hey thanks for the video. I have been using numbers 1-7 ..learnt from my peers and seniors at work... But 8 was very new to me..thanks for sharing

[@cassioalexan]

It's incredible how Jeff's tips are totally necessary and helpful in our lives! I loved most of them and am trying to apply in my e-mails. Thanks for sharing, Jeff!

[@debbielahav5909]

Great video! As a teacher of business English, sharing this video with my students. Now they will see that their teacher isn't the only one....

[@princejha4326]

Really very helpful insights Jeff, Thank you very much HBR.

[@hamzamabrouk7673]

The reply and mostly the 30-second rule is a life saver. Thank you.

[@hamzamabrouk7673]

I think I would add the use of Grammarly extension for proper grammar and better understanding.

[@pritabratamallik5391]

I liked the tip of jumping to the main point in the beginning and giving the context later. Liked the video, can't wait to see how these tips are gonna make me a better email-er

[@adamel-kadi5179]

This video is absolute gold 👑 Thank you so much! Bookmarked so I can keep coming back

[@user-ry6kj3yp4n]

Absolutely valuable to communicate effectively and in a timely manner. Thanks.

[@karenrodriguez5047]

Wow! I'm amazed at how little I knew with email etiquette. Definitely was surprised with the 8th tip there because it's so true. It's happened to me before but now knowing so I will definitely change that!

[@Georg8802]

Action required first and followed by context impressed me. Thanks 😊

[@leeles]

Thanks, Jeff, this is a very helpful summary. In many workplaces, there is little awareness and reflection on the e-mail habits and how to make this better for the whole team. I want to add that clear and open communication in the group is very important, so that it is clear to everyone, what ARE the expected etiquette and rules? It may differ from one company to the next, therefore we should always strive to speak about it explicitly and clarify this, so as to include everone in the current etiquette-framework.

[@moonlitnight1609]

Learning how to hyperlink and about the undo send options was very informative. I will be using them now. I have already changed my settings for the undo send option.

[@paulmax6275]

Loved your subtle humor! Enjoyed the tips.

[@latoyas294]

I was totally clueless about going to my email settings to change the undo send option to 30s. Thank you so much for this!