Project Management

Please login or join to subscribe to this thread

The endless Email thread

linkedin twitter facebook   Information Technology  
avatar
Drake Settsu Project Manager / Blogger Hi, United States
What are your thoughts on the email authors that start an email and let the thread get deeper and deeper.

I personally feel that email threads needs to stop at 5 deep. Call a meeting already to discuss the issue or start a new email to recap all the prior madness and make a copy of the original email that started the deep thread and attach that email for reference in the new email.
Sort By:
< 1 2 3 >
avatar
Janice Grier Senior Technical Vendor Manager| ATT Shelby Township, Mi, United States
Oct 02, 2019 2:15 PM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
...
Like my projects, I always tailor my emails. I might remove some of the past thread. I might change the subject, when warranted. I might even remove people from the distribution.
I agree here. As long as the email is moving in the right direction I will remove people from the distribution and/or update subject line.
...
1 reply by Karl Twort
Oct 08, 2019 12:28 PM
Karl Twort
...
I do understand this approach and removing or adding relevant recipients is a good tactic. Personally, I find that changing the subject can introduce some level of confusion about where the conversation started.

With all that aid, like others have noted, a long chain can become a weight around the neck, so to speak - time to hit up a meeting, whether that be F2F or via relevant communication tools (Slack/Skype etc)
avatar
Daire Guiney Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
The time you spend reading through the email thread especially if the matter has been escalate up to you would be better spent by picking up the phone or if required call a meeting with all the actors involved in the issue/discussion/problem. In my experience this problem is people wanting to avoid the issue at hand and hoping someone will "take the problem of their hands" by widening the net of email recipients and using email instead of other forms of communication.
avatar
Priya Patra Delivery Director| Capgemini India Technology Services Ltd Mumbai, India
I lose the context if the thread goes deeper. 5 is a good number to stop for a F2F meeting. Good discussion !
avatar
Karl Twort Senior Project Manager| Fresh Egg United Kingdom
Oct 04, 2019 2:20 PM
Replying to Janice Grier
...
I agree here. As long as the email is moving in the right direction I will remove people from the distribution and/or update subject line.
I do understand this approach and removing or adding relevant recipients is a good tactic. Personally, I find that changing the subject can introduce some level of confusion about where the conversation started.

With all that aid, like others have noted, a long chain can become a weight around the neck, so to speak - time to hit up a meeting, whether that be F2F or via relevant communication tools (Slack/Skype etc)
< 1 2 3 >

Please login or join to reply

Content ID:
ADVERTISEMENTS

"When you want to test the depths of a stream, don't use both feet."

- Chinese Proverb

ADVERTISEMENT

Sponsors







Vendor Events

See all Vendor Events

Newsletters

Jun 3: The Career Problem Facing New PMs
May 20: Your PM Career as a Project Life Cycle
May 13: The Big Lie After Layoffs

See all newsletters