Whether you are in-house counsel or outside counsel, I’m willing to bet that for many of us, the sheer number of emails can be the bane of our existence.
I have yet to meet someone who says, “I love getting hundreds of emails every day, especially long email strings with subject lines that start with at least three FW FW FW!”
For many of us, the reality is that email is simply a necessary part of doing business.
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At the same time, it doesn’t mean that we can’t improve our email skills to get the information we need in a timely manner and create good email karma.
So under that guise (and not out of writer’s block), here are a handful of email hacks that may make your life as in-house counsel incrementally better.
Make Your Subject Line Game Strong
First, make sure the subject line succinctly — and actually — describes the content of the email and why you’re sending it. Nothing is more frustrating than skipping or deeming an email low priority because the subject line is something generic like “how are you,” when it actually contains an important, time-sensitive ask. Points if you identify in the subject line if it’s “FYI only” or “Response Requested by X date” or “Time-Sensitive.” And in case it’s not intuitive, email is more likely going to get read if it doesn’t start with three forwards (“FW”). I have also received emails with the short ask in the subject line itself followed by “EOM” (end of message), which also works for me — although it’s hard for me to personally do the same.
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Lead With The Ask
OK, not literally. You do need to have an appropriate salutation, and depending on your relationship and company culture and the person you are emailing, you either cut directly to the chase or insert something personal like, “hope you had a great weekend” before launching into your ask.
But the very next thing should be your ask.
I even go as far as to use the label: “The Ask” to identify my ask, and then start an entirely new paragraph with the why and any important background.
Highlight The Deadline
Do this by starting a new paragraph with the deadline, if there is one. And while I am not a fan of creating a fake deadline, it’s a fact that some people prioritize based on deadline so it may be helpful to identify an ideal response date. And while I use this sparingly, if the ask is for an executive, I’ll often note it apologetically, especially if I have requested an unreasonable response time.
For my grammarians, it may seem odd to have one-line paragraphs, but most people just skim email so I find that highlighting the ask and the deadline separately creates a better chance of success at catching someone’s attention, especially if they also received hundreds of emails a day.
Flag For Follow Up
While you could technically flag for the recipient, that’s a bit bold for my taste. However, I will flag sent emails in my outlook so they show up on my “Task” list so I know to follow up in a couple of days, a week, or two weeks, depending upon the urgency of my ask.
Use Your Out Of Office To Set Boundaries
This one is hard, I know. Especially if you have been conditioned by Biglaw to be ultraresponsive. And I know plenty of in-house lawyers who choose not to use out of office because they prefer to appear available at all times. It’s certainly a personal choice.
For me, it’s important to lead with authenticity, and it’s a fact that I really can’t be on call 24/7. It’s unrealistic and unhealthy and can only lead to burnout. We all need time to unplug and recharge, and I think people can understand and respect that even lawyers need time off.
Here’s an example of what I might leave as my out of office:
“Hi! I’m sorry I missed your email, but I am currently on PTO, taking some time off to rest and rejuvenate and spend quality time with family. If you need assistance, please reach out to X. Or if this is truly an emergency that cannot wait until X date when I return, call or text me at X. Otherwise, I hope you find some time to recharge too.”
With a message like this, I’m explaining my why for lack of immediate responsiveness. At the same time, I’m not leaving my clients hanging. I refer them to another resource, but still make it clear that I will make myself available if it’s an emergency that cannot wait. Since I have used this approach, in my five years in-house, I have only received one emergency call during vacation (and it truly was an emergency).
What are your best email hacks?
Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz is in-house at Toyota Motor North America. Her passions include mentoring, championing belonging, and a personal blog: TheMeybe.com. At home, you can find her doing her best to be a “fun” mom to a toddler and preschooler and chasing her best self on her Peloton. You can follow her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meybe/). And you knew this was coming: her opinions are hers alone.