Emails to colleagues and your manager

How to write an internal email people can act on: subject lines, getting to the point, To and Cc, and when not to email at all.

At work, an email is not a message to a friend and it is not an essay. Most colleagues read the subject line and the first two lines, then decide whether to deal with it now or later. A good internal email makes that decision easy.

The shape of an email people can act on

Subject line
Say what it is about and what you need. "Q3 report: figures needed by Thursday" beats "Quick question".
First line
The point, or the ask. What do you need, from whom, and by when?
Context
Only what the reader needs in order to answer. Two or three short sentences is usually enough.
Next step
Who does what next. If you need nothing back, say so: "No reply needed".

If an email takes more than a minute to read, it probably wants to be a conversation or a document.

The same email, twice

Hard to act on

Subject: Question
"Hi, hope you're well. I was looking at the report and wasn't sure about a few things, so I wondered if you might have time at some point to have a look? Thanks!"
The reader has to reply just to find out what you want.

Easy to act on

Subject: Q3 report: can you check the sales figures by Thursday?
"Hi Priya, could you check the sales figures on page 2 of the attached report by Thursday midday? I think March is missing. Everything else is final."
One read, one clear job, one deadline.

To, Cc and Reply all

Field	Who goes here
To	The people who need to do something or reply.
Cc	People who need to know, but do not need to act. Your manager, if they have asked to be kept in the loop.
Reply all	Only when everyone on the email needs your answer. "Thanks!" to twenty people is twenty interruptions.

Writing to your manager

Lead with the decision or the answer you need. Managers get a lot of email, and yours competes with all of it.
If there is a problem, say so early and bring a suggestion: "The supplier is a week late. I suggest we move the launch to the 14th. Are you happy with that?"
Give choices where you can. "Option A or B?" gets a faster reply than "What should I do?"
Bad news should never be a surprise at the deadline. Tell them as soon as you know.

When not to email

Pick a different channel if…

It is urgent
Call, or walk over. Email is not for anything that cannot wait a few hours.
It is sensitive or could be misread
Feedback, a disagreement or a worry lands better in person or on a call.
It has gone back and forth three times
Stop typing and talk. Then send a short email confirming what you agreed.
You are annoyed
Write it if you must, but do not send it. Read it again tomorrow.