Sally,
Please send me the On-Time Shipping Report with your findings ASAP.
That's literally what I used to send people! Doesn't that sound like I'm angry? I never stopped to think about the tone I was throwing out in the world.
I stopped those sort of emails when I realized how much hurt I was causing and how little information I was sharing. Instead I would now send something like this:
Hey Sally,
How was your weekend? Did the girls trip go as planned? I bet you had a blast.
I had a crazy idea this morning for a project to reinvent our on-time shipping methodology and wanted to bring you in on it as you're an expert. Could you stop by my desk so I can pick your brain on this topic? We could create some magic here!
Care first then ask.
Since this change I have written emails twice.
The first draft is a stream of consciousness of whatever I’m needing, asking, sharing.
The second draft is written only after I look at the mess on the screen and decide if it’s a cohesive piece of communication. I do this by asking myself a few basic questions.
-Did I repeat myself? No one likes a rambling email.
-Did I succinctly share my needs while also sharing the urgency in a respectful way?
-Did I add value to this person by sharing information?