Become a Master of E-mail Etiquette

For many businesspeople, e-mail is the primary form of communication with clients, colleagues, and even the big boss. And it's been this way for years. So why do so many folks commit so many violations of e-mail etiquette? Publisher Michael Hyatt outlines 18 rules you should follow--and I agree with almost all of them. For example:

Don't "copy up" as a means of coercion. It's one thing to copy someone's boss as a courtesy. I do this whenever I am making an assignment to someone who is not a direct report. (I don't want their boss to think I am going around them, but I also don't want to bog my communication down in bureaucratic red tape.) But it is not a good idea to do this as a subtle--or not-so subtle--form of coercion. You may be tempted to do this when you don't get a response to an earlier request. But I would suggest that you will be better served to pick up the phone and call the person. If they are not responding to your e-mails, try a different communications strategy.