I’ll admit it, I talk too much but I’ve had to learn how to rein it in big time at work. I work in an environment where brevity is considered a core competency and arguably a prerequisite for advancement. Why? Because in our time crunched, distraction filled environment, concise communication is king. I’ve learned over the years that most don’t value the backstory. Yes/no, go/no go, black/white is what helps people make decisions, overdosing on details doesn’t.

What does that have to do with getting a promotion? Everything, here’s why.  Have you ever read or received a one word email from an executive, maybe a forward of an email thread that read, “Thoughts?” Concise email communication demonstrates your ability to take the straight path to decision making. It’s a good measure of three things, communication (duh), decisiveness, and efficiency.  The more you demonstrate these skills, the easier it is for you to be considered for the next steps.  Consider this how you communicate via email is an absolute reflection of who you are professionally and a component of how others perceive you.

If you’re ready to level-up your career here are three ways to improve your email communication to help you increase your odds of moving up the ranks:

“Just” – here’s a filler word that doesn’t improve the clarity of your message. You can omit it without changing the meaning of your message. “Following up on this,” is just as effective, but more direct  as “Just following up on this.”

“Let me know” – I’m guilty, so guilty of this but “let me know…,” followed by “if you have questions,” is unnecessary. You don’t have to give the recipients of your emails permission to communicate with you via email since that’s kind of what you guys are doing already.

 “When you get a chance” – I get it, “when you get a chance,” is a polite way of saying your email isn’t urgent but the message you’re really sending is, “it’s ok to not prioritize this email.” And if your emails aren’t getting prioritized, there’s a good chance you might not get a reply in a reasonable timeframe. Try replacing “when you get a chance” with a definitive deadline, like tomorrow afternoon or Friday morning.

Can you email your way to a promotion? Doubtful. Can you email your way out of way out of one? Possibly. If you want to be a boss or become the boss, communicate like one by sending direct, concise emails.

Greatness awaits,

Ashley