Hello Reader,

I was speaking with a senior leader recently - someone who manages a large, talented team - and she said something about her junior and mid-level staff that got me thinking. "They're good at their jobs. Really good. But the way they communicate makes me question their judgment."

She wasn't talking about attitude. She wasn't talking about work ethic. She was talking about email.

Specifically, the emails her junior colleagues were sending to clients, to executives, and to each other - messages that were too casual, too vague, or simply not thought through. And what struck me most was this: it wasn't that her team didn't care. It was that no one had ever actually taught them what professional email looks like.

This is one of the most consistent things I hear from leaders. And, it's also one of the most fixable - if you know what to address.

Here's what I'd share with any manager looking to level up their team's email game.

Start with the Point - Not the Pleasantries

I'll admit something before I say this: "Hope you're doing well" is practically my email signature opener. I catch myself typing it on autopilot, and honestly, it takes conscious effort to stop. So when I share this tip, know that I'm very much talking to myself too.

The opening line of an email either earns the reader's attention or loses it, and warm filler phrases - however well-intentioned - are almost always the wrong place to start. The reader, especially a busy one, has already started skimming by the time you get to your actual point. Train your team to lead with the reason they're writing, clearly and specifically, right in the first sentence. This is especially important when emailing anyone senior - executives and leaders are typically receiving far more emails than the people writing to them, and they're reading on the go, between meetings, often on their phones. The point needs to be at the top. The warmth can come through in how you write, not in a placeholder before you get started.

One Ask, One Thread, One Idea

An email that tries to do three things rarely accomplishes any of them. When the reader doesn't know what to respond to, they often respond to nothing - or pick the easiest item and quietly ignore the rest. If your team has multiple asks, coach them to number them clearly, or send separate emails for separate topics.

And while we're on the topic of threads: if you're following up on something that was discussed before, go back and find the original email and reply to it - even if months have passed. It gives the recipient immediate context without asking them to go digging. That said, if the subject has genuinely shifted, start fresh with a subject line that actually reflects what the conversation is about.

Reply All - the Rule People Always Get Wrong

There are two camps on this, and both camps are partly right. Generally speaking, if someone was copied on an email, it was for a reason - and taking them off a thread without good cause creates confusion and can feel dismissive. Keeping people in the loop on shared projects matters.

But Reply All isn't a blanket rule. If an all-company announcement goes out and your response is simply "Congrats!" - that's not something a hundred people need in their inbox. The better habit to build in your team isn't a hard-and-fast rule in either direction. It's the pause - the moment before hitting send where they actually ask: does everyone on this thread need to see this?

The Small Things That Are Actually Big Things

A few more habits worth building into your team's practice - things that seem minor but quietly shape how people perceive them:

A professional email signature removes friction for the people trying to reach you and signals that you've thought about how others experience communicating with you. Phone number, title, and company name - it doesn't need to be elaborate, but it should be there consistently.

If an email is getting long and complicated, it might not be an email anymore. Sometimes a three-minute phone call resolves what would have taken six back-and-forth messages - and then a brief follow-up email summarizing what was decided is all you need.

And one that I personally love: don't add the recipient's address until after you've finished writing and reviewing the email. It eliminates the very human and very embarrassing risk of sending something before it's ready.

A Note Tone - Because it's More Nuanced than People Think

Being direct in email is generally a good thing. But one person's directness is another person's abruptness, and this is a distinction that matters enormously depending on who you're writing to. The casual, warm tone that works beautifully with a close colleague isn't necessarily the right register for a new client or a senior executive you've never met.

What I call communication code-switching - the ability to read the room and adjust accordingly - is one of the most valuable professional skills you can develop in your emerging talent. And it genuinely has to be taught, because most people aren't aware they're doing it wrong in the first place.

The goal has never been to make people more robotic or overly formal. It's to make them more intentional - so that every message they send reflects the professional they're working hard to become.

Check Out Our Blog

If you've ever wondered what professional ghosting actually says about workplace culture, showing gratitude across cultures, or want to take our business dining etiquette quiz - the blog is where I go deeper on all of it. New posts regularly, on the topics leaders and emerging professionals are navigating every day.

Podcast: Athletic Shorts at a Networking Event

Speaking of how we show up professionally - my newest podcast episode is ready for listening, and this one genuinely made me rethink something I assumed I knew about professional presence.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ->

WATCH THE PODCAST ->

If this resonates, and you think your team could benefit from a focused session on professional communication - email etiquette, digital presence, or workplace communication more broadly - this is exactly the work we do at Boost Academy of Excellence. Reply to this email and let's have a conversation about what that could look like for your organization.

Warm regards,

Trina Boos
​
Founder & CEO
Boost Academy of Excellence
​boostacademyofexcellence.com​