SLEEP IS GOD. GO WORSHIP.

Sometimes we would check with others when we feel we are doing something wrong, or we are confused. During our school life our parents used say that we are always sleeping, but now the same parents say that we are not sleeping enough. Parents always care for us; therefore, we can assume that something is going wrong. Let’s see what the problem is, how it is impacting us and what are the solutions for this issue.

To do that American psychologist helped us to start the proposal with his famous ‘Hierarchy of Needs’. We have carried out a survey for age group between 30 to 45 years, 83% of them are said they are suffering from lack of sleeping hours. Those respondents showed green signal to GO with this survey.

Next step of this survey was to identify the factors influencing the sleeping hours. According to the responses, 60% of respondents said that Social Media is the worst factor influencing their sleeping hours. Office Working Hours also badly influence the sleeping hours. 90% respondents said Staying Out also influenced their sleeping hours. The good thing is 40% of the respondents said that they are not having heavy meals for dinner. 

Since the Social Media is the worst factor, the next question is validated. 50% of the respondents said they are spending more than 3 hours on smartphones in a day. The sad thing is all the respondents are spending minimum one hour with their smartphone in a day. The result of this survey is, 25% of respondents sleep only for a maximum 5 hours in a day. Another 25% of respondents sleeping 7 hours and 42% sleeping 6 hours. Now we can see how smartphones are killing our sleep.

It is the time to know the Sleep Deprivation Effects. There are 4 noticeable signs of sleep deprivation. Excessive sleepiness, Frequent yawning, Irritability & Daytime fatigue. 1st day of the week we can see that most of our colleagues are showing all these signs. Now we will go back to the previous findings that 90% of respondents said that ‘Staying Out’ is influencing their sleeping hours. Our lifestyle during the weekends is similar to the owls life. If we do not care about the sleeping hours, we must face many serious issues listed in this slide, such as Weakened immunity, Accidents, Weight gain. 

Every problem has a solution. We have summarised respondents’ valuable suggestions to improve the sleeping hours as listed. In this proposal we have seen that most of the respondents are having lack of Sleeping hour, then the most influence factor is Social media and all of us are spending minimum one hour on our mobiles. Therefore, we need to give high priority to the worst factor. If we keep electronics out of our bed or switch off Wi-Fi device will add some sleeping hours. Establish a routine when going to the bed such as going to bed on time and waking up on time. Set the scene by setting the bedroom for sleep environment based on your comfort for better sleep. Caffeine and alcohol are two common sleep disrupting culprits, avoid drinking alcohol within three hours of bedtime, and limit yourself. No matter how tempted you are, don’t turn on the television, get on your computer, or check your texts or email. Try not to expose yourself to bright light, extreme temperatures, or loud sounds. 

References:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body

Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D.O. — Written by Stephanie Watson and Kristeen Cherney on May 15, 2020

2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/sleep/8-reasons-why-youre-not-sleeping

    Published: February 2014

3. https://survivalreport.org/basic-human-needs/

    By Mike T - May 4, 2017

PS: The above content is prepared for Toastmasters Level 3 Project 1 under an Innovative Planning path.

Google Doodles

Google doodles have been produced for the birthdays of several noted artists, scientists & celebration of historical events. Here some of Google's Logos. 

 

 

 

Phone cover made by Bamboo

Warning Message regarding to Laptop

Don’t keep your Laptop near to easily flammable material while using

A couple lost their 25 year old son in a fire at home on June 4th. The son who had graduated with MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison two weeks earlier had come home for a while. He had lunch with his dad at home and decided to go back to clean up his hostel room. His father told him to wait, to meet his mother, before he went back for a few days. He decided to take a nap while waiting for his mom to come back home from work. Sometime later their neighbors called 911 when they saw black smoke coming out of the house.

Unfortunately, the 25 years old died in the three year old house. It took several days of investigation to find out the cause of the fire. It was determined that the fire was caused by the laptop resting on the bed. When the laptop was on the bed cooling fan did not get the air to cool the computer and that is what caused the fire. He did not even wake up to get out of the bed because he died of breathing in carbon monoxide.

The reason I am writing this to all of you is that I have seen many of us and also our sons & daughters using the laptop while in bed. Let us all decide and make it a practice not to do that. The risk is real. Let us make it a rule not to use the laptop on bed with blankets and pillows around. Please educate as many people as you can.

"Please pass to everyone you know, you might save one's life

 (Thanks for Zia Hussian. The above message forwarded by him)

Cooler Pad

The Laptop Cooling Stand prevents your laptop from overheating. The unique patented wave design uses natural convection to enhance fan cooling. This stand has low power consumption via your laptop’s USB port with no bulky power adapters.

You know all about heat. Because today’s notebooks rely on fast processors to do the job, they generate a lot of heat, with much of it landing directly in your lap. Some laptops can have a “normal” operating temperature as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit! Not only is that unsafe and uncomfortable, it can also wear your laptop down, cause it to crash unexpectedly, and reduce its overall life expectancy.

Popular Articles Directories, Social Media Sites & Video Sites

Popular articles Directories

eHOW, Ezine Articles, Go Articles, Amazines, Article Dashboard, Articles Blast, Associated Content, Bukisa, Buzzle, Examiner, Suite 101, Technorati, Bright Hub, Helium, iSnare, The Free Library

Popular Social Media Sites

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ning, Tagged, Orkut, Hi5, Flickr, Digg, Stumbleupon, Scribd, Reddit, MyYearbook, Meetup, Badoo, Bebo, MyLife, Friendster, Multiply

 Popular Video Sites

Youtube, DailyMotion, Metacafe, MegaVideo, Y!Video, Vimeo, LiveLeak, Break, Videosift

..Things You Didn’t Know About the Facebook Like Button

By Mike Krumboltz | Yahoo! Finance

Share0EmailPrint.....It's just a little, clickable icon. But Facebook's "Like" button, with its omnipresent "thumbs up" symbol, has made the company billions of dollars. The story of the button's creation can be traced to a core group of Facebook veterans.

Facebook Director of Engineering Andrew Bosworth posted his version of the button's history on Quora.com in 2010. Bosworth writes that he and a small group of co-workers worked on the project, codenamed “Props.” They debated other ideas including plus/minus signs and star ratings. According to Bosworth’s post, the Like button was originally going to be called the "Awesome" button. Apparently, founder Mark Zuckerberg put the kibosh on that idea.

 The idea for the Like button began in 2007, according to Bosworth. There has been some debate over the years over whether Facebook copied the "Like" name from rival site FriendFeed. According to Bosworth, Facebook was working on the concept months before Friendfeed pushed out its own "Like" feature. Facebook unleashed the Like button in February 2009.

Whatever the timing, the success of the button can't be overstated. Rapper Eminem is the most "liked" person on Facebook. As of press time, the Detroit native had more than 52.5 million "likes." Others in his rarefied air include Lady Gaga (47.5 million), Rihanna (50.8 million), and Katy Perry (39 million).

The button itself is clicked millions of times every hour. Facebook doesn't publicly release stats on just how popular the button is, but back in 2010 (which, we admit, is an eon in Web years), 7.6 million pages were "liked" every 20 minutes, according to independent blog Business and Facebook.

According to Facebook's recent S1 IPO filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the site's users "generated an average of 2.7 billion Likes and Comments per day during the three months ended December 31, 2011." Break those numbers down, and it comes out to 112,500,000 Likes and Comments ever hour or about 1,875,000 every minute or, to break it down even further, around 31,250 Likes and Comments every second.

LinkedIn It’s who you know

To some, it is the most drudgingly boring website since watching – grass- grow.com. To other, it is a razor- sharp recruitment tool transplanting workers from their current jobs into attractive new positions. Linkedin has certainly carved out its niche.

Whatever your view, the “grown up” social networking site Linkedin has carved out its niche. If bebo is the Volkswagen Beetle catering to the puckish trends of the youth market, Facebook a ford Mondeo, popular & reliable, & Twitter a Toyota Prius, beloved of techno – geeks, then LinkedIn is a Lexus – aimed at a small number of the business – minded.

Indeed mention LinkedIn to anyone in the media – an increasingly to anyone in the media – an increasingly closed – shop, cash poor industry - & they’ll look bemused. The website looks unattractive, featuring pages of contract & carrier information in black text on a plain white background. The site only allowed its user to upload profile pictures in 2008. But its founders claim this simplicity explain its success – over three million members in Britain, 65 Million members around the world & over 50 percent of Fortune 100 Companies are now using it as a recruitment tool.

“It’s designed to be functional and effective,” says Kevin Eyres, the network’s European managing director. “Namely, we want people to get what as quickly as possible. If you spend on it it’s not answering that challenge of making you productive. How can I quickly find that expert? How can I quickly find that source of expertise that will help me products, help my business or enable that opportunity? That what we’re aiming at.”

http://www.linkedin.com/

The website was founded in May 2003 in Mountain View, California by former staff form PayPal, Socialnet.com and Yahoo, where LinkedIn’s chief executive Jeff Weiner was one of the company’s most powerful figures. To begin, it took 477 days for it to acquire its first million members. It now at-tracts a million every 12 days, roughly one every second. In part, the site capitalizes on media scare stories that suggest employers check out the Facebook and Twitter profiles of people they are recruiting. LinkedIn creates an environment that is hermetically sealed in professional teams.

 It boasts a search facility so sharp you could open an envelope with it (search by sector, country, region, experience). The site makes money in three ways: through its premium service, in which companies pay to contact people on the site (email addresses are normally withheld). Its advertising reaches everyone form graduates to boardroom level. Lastly, it offers bespoke software solutions to recruitment companies, eager to tap into the 80 per cent of the job market not actively looking for a new role- those often best suited to certain positions.

“It’s aimed at professionals; it’s not Facebook, it’s a professionals business networking site. “Says Mike Butcher, the editor of TechCrunch Europe.

industry professional.”You can have a company pitching to publish then suddenly strike gold & need 50 experienced artists and five designers & seven codes. The project maybe lasts a year or two and then people move company again. The ebb and flow makes it a desperate hire and everyone wants experience workers. There are agency types who used to have to “Know” people have contracts – now they scan Linkedin and chance a spam mail. It’s good and bad news for both parties.

You have to join the world’s most boring social network site but come the day your game gets canned unexpectedly, everyone knows instantly and agents want commission, workers get introduction bonuses and the newly – unemployed want work.”Louise Wiseman, who works in IT, has similar feelings.”Like a lot  of people, I Joined Linkedin a couple of years ago, uploaded my profile and promptly forgot about it apart from accepting people’s connection request as they came through – I’ve never actively ‘used’ the site and I’m sure it has all kinds of features I’m sure it has all kinds of features I’m not aware of, “she says.”It’s not snazzy enough to make to make me want to spend time on it. It is purely functional. In the last few months, through, I’ve been contacted via Linkedin by four recruiters hiring for good roles with large, well-known companies. Unlike most approaches I’ve had in the past these people had done their homework by looking at my profile so they came to me with jobs that matched my experience and skill set.”

In fact, while Linkedin does not suffer from the ambiguity of purpose that vexes users of Twitter & Facebook and is thus, one would have thought, best kept separate from them – its founders have taken steps to increase its user – friendliness. – The independent.

This article was released on “Times of Oman- THURSDAY- July 8-14, 2010

Your Facebook profile could get you the sack

By Robert Powell | Lovemoney.com

“Making the world more open and connected” is the mantra trumpeted by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as the key aim behind his social networking giant.

And isn’t that a nice, fluffy idea?

Well, it is, so long as you know exactly who you are being open and connected with. And as one lowly ex-employee recently found: most of the time, you don’t.

iFool

Samuel Crisp is a genius. Or, more accurately, he was, until he got sacked from Apple’s ‘Genius Bar’ (that’s the repair shop to you and I) in Norwich for behaving like something of an iFool on his iPhone.

Yes, Mr Crisp took to Facebook to vent some rage against an app on his handset that had messed up (not the exact words used) the phone’s time zones.

He also poked fun at the tagline that was used by Apple to launch the Beatles' back catalogue: “Tomorrow is another day that’ you’ll never forget” by posting “tomorrow’s just another day that hopefully I’ll forget”.

Employment tribunal

After being shown the door by Apple, Mr Crisp appealed to an employment tribunal about his sacking. He contended that the remarks were private and hence should not have impacted on his employment.

However the tribunal sided with Apple and said that the comments could have easily been passed on without any control from Mr Crisp.

The tribunal also heard that the ex-Apple employee had become disgruntled with the company after missing out on a transfer to the United States.

Social media policy

Part of the reason why Apple was able to dispatch the loose-lipped worker so easily was that it had written in social media guidelines that all employees had to abide by.

In a copy of the document leaked to the magazine PC World, the company states that if you identify yourself as an Apple employee you “should ensure that content associated with you is consistent with Apple policies”.

It goes on to say that all Apple workers should comply with the company’s business conduct policy on threat of disciplinary action “up to and including termination of employment”.

A guideline Samuel Crisp now knows all too well.

Spleen venting

Employment disputes surrounding comments posted online have become more common over the last few years. And they don’t necessarily have to be of a direct ‘spleen venting against your employer’ nature to result in a sacking.

Personal insults against colleagues and unsavoury or ill-timed status updates and photos could also land you a booking at the job centre.
Yes, you may have thoroughly enjoyed your boozy weekend away with the lads – but there’s no need for the world to see you drinking tequila from an armpit, is there?

Job hunters beware

You should be even more cautious with your online identity if you’re currently on the job hunt. Almost half of employers reportedly check the Facebook accounts of applicants as part of the recruitment process.

So if you’ve just come out of university and are looking for a job, it’s probably best to give your online persona something of a face-lift before sending off any CVs.
But rude and insulting comments and aren’t the only things you should avoid putting online.

Holiday plans

Nothing says ‘come and burgle my empty house while I’m away’ like an excited status update boasting of a looming holiday.

If you do want all of your mates to know about your plush trip to New York, for goodness sake wait until you get back to brag about it.

But even then, try not to include any photos of the brand new laptop or iPad you brought back with you. There’s no need to give criminals a shopping list for your home now, is there?

Indeed, the fact that so many of us are posting this potentially risky info online has got insurers worried, with warnings that it may lead to higher premiums.

Photos and location data

Sharing photos is a key part of any social networker's online life. However, be careful which snaps you upload. As I mentioned earlier, embarrassing shots could land you in trouble with your employer.

But overly detailed and extensive photos of your home can also provide something of a road map for a robbery if accessed by the wrong person.

You should also be careful when using location-based applications. Facebook Places may allow you to check in with your flat mates at a pricey restaurant and show the world what a sophisticated palette you have, but it also lets burglars know that your property is empty.

Personal information

Obvious stuff really. Never, ever put your address, telephone number, birth date and place, mother's maiden name or any other personal information online.

On an obvious level this information can be used to locate your home and target you with phone, text and mail fraud or spam.

But further to this, many will use personal information as passwords for online accounts. Yet this information stops being so personal if you broadcast it to the world through your Facebook account. So don’t do it!

In fact, you shouldn’t be using personal information as passwords anyway.

An example. Last week the credit card of my somewhat techno-phobic parents was charged £130 for an Amazon gift voucher. How? Someone had mysteriously hacked into their Amazon account by cracking its cryptic password. And this unbreakable key word was… the home postcode.

Mind your privates

In addition to taking care over what you put online, it’s also worth keeping a firm grip on who exactly can access your information. You can do this by cranking up the privacy settings on any sites you use.

For example, Facebook asks that you specify which online groups can see what information of yours. For me, this option is set firmly to ‘friends only’. This means that only users that I agree to ‘befriend’ can get hold of the sparse collection of information on my profile.

25 "Worst Passwords" of 2011 revealed

(Thanks for  David Coursey, forbes.com)

If you see your password below, STOP!

Do not finish reading this post and immediately go change your password -- before you forget. You will probably make changes in several places since passwords tend to be reused for multiple accounts.

Here are two lists, the first compiled by Splash Data:

1. password

2. 123456

3.12345678

4. qwerty

5. abc123

6. monkey

7. 1234567

8. letmein

9. trustno1

10. dragon

11. baseball

12. 111111

13. iloveyou

14. master

15. sunshine

16. ashley

17. bailey

18. passw0rd

19. shadow

20. 123123

21. 654321

22. superman

23. qazwsx

24. michael

25. football

Last year, Imperva looked at 32 million passwords stolen from RockYou, a hacked website, and released its own Top 10 "worst" list:

1. 123456

2. 12345

3. 123456789

4. Password

5. iloveyou

6. princess

7. rockyou

8. 1234567

9. 12345678

10. abc123

If you've gotten this far and don't see any of your passwords, that's good news. But, note that complex passwords combining letters and numbers, such as passw0rd (with the "o" replaced by a zero) are starting to get onto the 2011 list. abc123 is a mixed password that showed up on both lists.

Last year, Imperva provided a list of password best practices, created by NASA to help its users protect their rocket science, they include:

It should contain at least eight characters

It should contain a mix of four different types of characters - upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters such as !@#$%^&*,;" If there is only one letter or special character, it should not be either the first or last character in the password.

It should not be a name, a slang word, or any word in the dictionary. It should not include any part of your name or your e-mail address.

Following that advice, of course, means you'll create a password that will be impossible, unless you try a trick credited to security guru Bruce Schneir: Turn a sentence into a password.

For example, "Now I lay me down to sleep" might become nilmDOWN2s, a 10-character password that won't be found in any dictionary.

Can't remember that password? Schneir says it's OK to write it down and put it in your wallet, or better yet keep a hint in your wallet. Just don't also include a list of the sites and services that password works with. Try to use a different password on every service, but if you can't do that, at least develop a set of passwords that you use at different sites.

Someday, we will use authentication schemes, perhaps biometrics, that don't require so much jumping through hoops to protect our data. But, in the meantime, passwords are all most of us have, so they ought to be strong enough to do the job.

How to Get a Personal Signature at the End of an Email

An email signature is an easy way to pass along contact information.

Personalize your emails by creating a signature that displays at the bottom of your messages. A signature is a few lines of type attached to the end of your emails, which you can tailor to your needs. Attach a signature with your company name and contact information at the bottom of your work email account. Attach a link to your blog or Twitter profile at the end of your personal emails. Most email programs have an option to create a signature in the "Options" or "Tools" menu.

Instructions

Microsoft Outlook

1.0 Sign in to your email account using Outlook. Click the "Tools" menu. Choose "Options."

2.0 Click "Signatures" in the "Mail Format" tab in the window that appears. Click "New" and enter a name for your signature file. Type your signature in the text box and add any desired formatting using the icons above the text box.

3.0 Choose which email account uses the signature, if you have more than one account in Outlook, and whether to use the signature for new messages, forwarded messages or replies. Click "OK.


Gmail

1.0 Sign in to your Gmail account. Click the "Options" icon, which is shaped like a wheel, at the top of the page. Click "Mail Settings."

2.0 Click "General" and scroll down to "Signature." "No Signature" is the default setting.

3.0 Click the "Signature" text and type in your signature. Use the icons at the top of the box to format the text, add links or insert a small photo, if you desire. Scroll to the bottom of the window and click "Save Changes."

Yahoo! Mail

1.0 Log in to your Yahoo! Mail account. Click the "Options" link at the top of the page, then select "More Options."

2.0 Click "Signature" in the left-hand navigation pane. Choose "Show a Signature On All Outgoing Messages."

3.0 Type your desired signature into the box. Use the "Rich Text" link to format your text and add links. Click "Save Changes" at the top of the window.

Thankyou (ehow.com

Minimalist Wood Cube Alarm Clock with Clap Activated LED Screen

With today’s electronic gadgets often overwhelmingly complicated and sometimes confusing, it’s a refreshing change to see a functional item for the bedside table looking like wooden cube with an LED light. Well, that’s actually exactly what this alarm clock is and it’s perfect for a bedroom that has a decidedly minimalist atmosphere and décor scheme. No fancy gadgets with whistles and touch screens here, just a simple wooden block that tells you all you need to know.

An LED display screen is inbuilt into the wooden cube and displays the time as though imprinted onto the wooden surface. This is in fact achieved by the clapping of your hands, for when not activated, the LED display screen remains blank. In this state, the clock is for all intents and purposes, looks to merely be a decorative wooden accent piece. A benefit of the clap activation is the ability to find the clock in a pitch black room if you have inadvertently placed it elsewhere.

The wood cube alarm clock is ideal for a bedside table but it can be placed in just about any location in the room such as on a shelf or cabinet. The LED displayed time is clear to see from anywhere. It can also be situated in a home office or library where it can remind you of the time when trying to complete an important assignment on time. Here, the benefit rests in the hiding of the time when not urgently required so as to prevent clock watching which frequently wastes time and causes tension.

If you have a stylishly minimalist kitchen interior, then it will look great there too and is perfect for use when cooking and have messy hands. All you need to do is clap (hopefully not whilst covered with flour) and voilà, the time is revealed. It’s fun, modern and different, making it a unique time piece for people who like something out of the ordinary.



Writing Effective Emails

Write better emails
with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson.

Do people respond to your emails in the way you want them to? Or do they seem to ignore them, or miss important information? And are you sure that you're making the best possible impression with your emails?

Subject Lines are Headlines

A newspaper headline has two functions: It grabs your attention, and it tells you what the article is about, so that you can decide if you want to read further. Email subject lines need to do exactly the same thing! Use a few well-chosen words, so that the recipient knows at a glance what the email is about.

 If your message is one of a regular series of emails, such as a weekly project report, include the date in the subject line. And for a message that needs a response, you might want to include a call to action, such as "Please reply by November 7".

 Remember that everyone tries to reduce the amount of "spam" email messages they receive. If you make appropriate use of the subject line, you increase the chances that your email will be read, rather than mistaken for spam and deleted without so much as a glance.

 Of course, just as it would be ridiculous to publish a newspaper without headlines, never leave the subject line blank. Emails with blank subject lines are usually spam!

When you compose an email message, there are some simple rules that you can follow to ensure that your emails make a positive impression, and get you the response you want. We'll look at these here, and we'll illustrate the points we're talking about with both good and bad examples at the end of each section.

Bad Example

Subject: Meeting

Hi Jim,

I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled next week. Do let me know if you have any questions!

Best wishes,

Mark

This email is an example of poor communication for several reasons. Let's focus on the headline. As you can see, it's titled "Meeting".

Why is this a bad headline?

Well, there's no information about the meeting. If your calendar is full of meetings, you might even wonder which one Mark is talking about. And there's certainly no clarity about the subject, or when and where the meeting's being held.

What's more, the lack of specific information makes it look like a spam email. This email risks being deleted without being read!

Also, the tone of the message is that of a friendly reminder. There's nothing wrong with that, but essential details are missing. If Jim hasn't heard anything about the meeting, or has completely forgotten about it, he'll have to write back for more information.

Good Example

Subject: Reminder of 10am Meeting Sched. 10/05 on PASS Process.

Hi Jim,

I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 10:00am. It's being held in conference room A, and we'll be discussing the new PASS Process.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch (x3024).

Best Wishes,

Mark

See how specific this new headline is?

The great thing about this headline is that the reader doesn't even have to open the email to get most of the relevant information.

And the precise nature of the headline serves as a useful prompt. Every time the reader glances at his saved emails, he'll be reminded about that specific meeting.

Make One Point per Email

One of the advantages of email compared with traditional letters is that it doesn't cost any more to send several emails than it does to send one. So, if you need to communicate with someone about a number of different things, consider writing a separate email on each subject.

That way, your correspondent can reply to each one individually and in the appropriate time frame. One topic might only require a short reply, that he or she can send straight away. Another topic might require more research. By writing separate messages, you should get clearer answers, while helping other people manage their inboxes better.

If you do want to put several points in an email - perhaps because they relate to the same project - consider presenting each point in a separate, numbered paragraph. This makes each point stand out, significantly increasing the likelihood that each point will be addressed.

As with traditional business letters, each individual email should be clear and concise, with the purpose of the message detailed in the very first paragraph. Sentences should be kept short and to the point. The body of the email should contain all pertinent information and should be direct and informative.

Bad Example

Subject: Revisions For Sales Report

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. The report is going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to reflect our professionalism.

Also, I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, regarding the new ad campaign. It's at 11:00, and will be in the small conference room.

Please let me know if you can make that time.

Thanks!

Monica

Monica got a good headline in there, and she was pretty clear on the changes she wanted Jackie to make to that report.

But what did she do wrong?

Well, that second paragraph about the meeting is pretty important, and yet she lumped it into the email that detailed the revisions. If Jackie doesn't put it straight in her calendar, she'll have to remember that the meeting details were in the email titled "Revisions For Sales Report", which is not very logical.

Combining those two important communications increases the chance that either the meeting or the revisions will be forgotten. Let's look at how she could have done it better:

Good Example

Subject: Revisions For Sales Report

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. The report is going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to reflect our professionalism.

Thanks for your hard work on this!

Monica

AND

Subject: Friday 10/9, 11am Meeting w/PR Dept

Hi Jackie,

I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, 10/9, regarding the new ad campaign.

It's at 11:00am, and will be in the small conference room. Please let me know if you can make that time.

Thanks!

Monica

By separating those two important communications, Jackie will be able to find what she needs quickly in her inbox.

As well as this, separating the two topics helps her keep her saved emails relevant. Once she's done with the revisions email she can delete it, but keep the meeting reminder email until the end of the week.

Specify the Response You Want

Make sure to include any call to action you want, such as a phone call or follow-up appointment. Then, make sure you include your contact information, including your name, title, and phone numbers. Do this even with internal messages. Remember, the easier you make it for someone else to respond, the more likely they are to do so!

Bad Example

From: reliablelandscapes@domain.com

Subject: Proposal

Lynn,

Did you get my proposal last week? I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure.

Can you please call me so we can discuss?

Thanks!

Peter

There are several pieces of important information missing from this email.

The first thing that's missing is information about the proposal. What if Lynn got several proposals? Which one is the writer talking about? Also, did he send it by post, or through email?

Also, the writer gave Lynn no information on how to get in touch. Where is his office number, his cell number, or his business name? Lynn will have to go and find that information.

And, most critically, he didn't give his full name and title at the bottom of the mail - despite the fact that his name doesn't form part of his email address.

Good Example

Subject: Checking On Reliable Landscapes Proposal

Dear Lynn,

I just wanted to check that you have received the landscaping proposal I emailed to you last week. I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure it went through.

Can you please call me by Thursday so we can discuss? This is when our discount offer expires, and I want to make sure you don't miss it!

The quickest way to contact me is by cell phone.

Thanks!

Peter Schuell, Owner
Reliable Landscaping, Inc.
555.135.4598 (office)
555.135.2929 (cell)

Peter has now given Lynn all the information she needs. She knows he emailed the proposal last week, that he'd like her to call him by Thursday, and that she should use his cell phone to make contact quickly.

Most importantly, Peter included his name and title, so Lynn knows who he is, and put his contact information at the bottom.

Using EOM Headlines

When you have a very short message to convey, you can use the EOM, or End Of Message, technique.

This is possible when you can put all the relevant information in the subject line, followed by the letters "EOM". This lets the recipient know that he or she doesn't even have to open the email; all the information is right there. The subject line is the message!

Example

Subject: 10/5 Meeting, 10am, Conf. Rm. A, On PASS Procedure EOM

Be a Good Correspondent

Make sure that you go through your inbox regularly and respond as appropriate. This is a simple act of courtesy and will also serve to encourage others to reply to your emails

in a timely manner. If a detailed response is required to an email, and you don't have the time to pull together the information straight away, send a holding reply saying that you have received the message, and indicating when you will respond fully.

How frequently you should check your mail will depend on the nature of your work, but try to avoid interrupting a task you're working on to check your mail, simply because you wonder if something interesting has come in.

Always set your Out of Office agent when you're going to be away from your email for a day or more, whether on leave or because you're at meetings.

Internal Email

Internal emails, just like other emails, should not be too informal. Remember, these are written forms of communication that can be printed out and viewed by people other than those for whom they were originally intended! Always use your spell checker, and avoid slang.

Thanks for ehow.com