Two Reasons to Send an Email

You have a good idea, and you want the people who matter to act on it.

A client of mine did too. She was about to send her leadership team an email she'd spent hours on. It was well thought out and logical, with common sense solutions all in one complete message.

She asked me, "Should I send it?"

So I asked her what her intention was. There's an old rule that there are only two reasons to send a memo. One is to confirm something you've already discussed. The other is to upset someone (read: piss someone off).

Which one was this?

She laughed, because she knew. She hadn't discussed it with anyone. And she didn't want to, because sending the email was easier.

Here's the question I'd ask you, too: when was the last time you chose the inbox because the conversation felt risky?

I don't think it's really about efficiency. "Efficient" is often the word we use for avoiding a conversation we're nervous to have. A conversation means someone might push back, and you can't polish it first. An email lets you stay right without being tested.

But she wasn't trying to share ideas. She was trying to influence her leadership team, and influence runs on trust. Nothing erodes trust faster than being surprised.

Picture the leader who opens that email. They read it alone, with no tone of voice and no one to ask. Her ideas may be brilliant, but what they'll remember is how it felt to be handed a verdict.

The email isn't the enemy. It just belongs at the end of the sequence, not the beginning.

1. Ask for 15 minutes before you write anything.
2. Share the one idea you're most excited about and ask what they think.
3. Then send the email, as confirmation of a conversation you've already had.

Now the email has a different job. Nobody is surprised, and she walks into the next meeting with allies instead of reactions.

If you want to see where you reach for the inbox when the conversation feels risky, the ACE Assessment will show you exactly where it shows up, and I'll personally walk you through what it means for you.

https://ace.bethoughtly.com/

In your corner,

Allison