The Basics of Organizing For Data Science: Why The [ACTION REQUIRED] email tag
This is the fourth in a series on The Basics of Organizing For Data Science.
In this series:
- Why Agendas;
- Why Prepare For A Meeting;
- Why Document A Meeting;
- Why The [ACTION REQUIRED] email tag;
- Why The Bullet Point.
Why The [ACTION REQUIRED] email tag in the subject line
- Because you are calling out that an action is required;
- Because you are calling out that a specific email is important;
- Because clarity is more likely to cause action;
- Because it is not always clear which emails are important and which are not important.
Where to use [ACTION REQUIRED]
- In the subject line of an email.
What is [ACTION REQUIRED]
- The Addressee is asked to undertake an action that is important, but not always urgent;
- The Addressee may have a number of choices;
- The Addressee may be on the critical path of a major decision, situation, or consideration, and it is in everybody’s best interests if they get off that path.
How to use [ACTION REQUIRED]
- In the subject line of an email, type [ACTION REQUIRED]
- At the top of the email, state the action that is required;
- Beneath the action required, state the degree of importance and/or urgency associated with the action that is required, including a hard deadline if one exists;
- Beneath the degree of importance/urgency, type out intuition and/or relative facts that are pertinent to the situation.
When to use [ACTION REQUIRED]
- When action is required;
- If action is not required, and you are informing somebody of something with no action item, use the [FYI] subject line tag.
Who should use [ACTION REQUIRED]
- Whoever is alerting The Addressee, that action is required.
Conclusion
- People are bombarded with email of varying quality and clarity;
- Sometimes important action is required;
- You can assist other people in understanding the importance of an action that is required by using the [ACTION REQUIRED] subject tag.