Ten-hut: The military way of writing emails

We can learn a lot from the military. One such lesson: how to write effective emails, those that are read and understood. “How to Write Email with Military Precision” by Kabir Sehgal appeared in the Harvard Business Review on November 22, 2016, and it was an eye-opener for me!

Make the subject line count

The first item the recipient sees is the subject line. The military doesn’t waste this real estate and gives direction on what, if anything, must be done. Here are the options:

   ACTION: The recipient is required to take some action.

   SIGN: The recipient is required to sign something.

   INFO: FYI only, no action required.

   DECISION: The recipient is required to make a decision.

   REQUEST: The sender is asking for the recipient’s permission or approval. 

   COORD: Coordination by or with the recipient is needed.

Sehgal gives examples of how this works in practice:

   INFO—Status Update

   REQUEST—Vacation