The Effective Use of E-mails

E-mail can be used by businesses as an effective means of communication; many times messages sent by e-mail can be taken care of faster than trying to set up meetings with busy colleagues. However, when not used correctly, e-mails can simply create problems.
As Stephen Leahy's article points out, e-mails can be misinterpreted by the receiver. For the most part, this is a result of self-centered writing: when the sender is writing based on what they think they sound like, rather than taking into consideration how their audience might construe their tone.
In order to make e-mails more effective, and ensure the message will be decoded correctly, an audience centered approach is necessary. This means using clear, plain wording; making sure the tone is appropriate; and carefully organizing sentence structure and paragraph order. If you build these aspects around what you know of your audience, you will have successful e-mail communications.