The use of electronic mail for most corporate communications is now standard in many countries around the world. And even email, like other forms of communication, follow a label and some social protocols, as well as "functional" norms, which help senders to address their recipients more effectively. If you need to write an email to request feedback on a particular project, your job performance, or anything else, having an idea of what the experts are recommending can help you create effective emails. Listed below are the recommendations most suggested by the experts.
Steps
Step 1. Ask the most qualified people
Send your email with a request for feedback to those people who are in the best position to evaluate you, as well as to people who are authoritative or influential enough to favorably weigh their decisions.
Evaluate the chain of command. In many companies today, where there is a hierarchical structure, it can be dangerous to directly challenge a person's position above one's own. Consider which people are usually responsible for providing feedback within the business. For example, it makes more sense to request feedback from someone who regularly evaluates staff, rather than asking someone who doesn't have the data to evaluate your job performance, or who works in a completely different department
Step 2. Consider the working relationship that exists between you and the recipient of the message
Experts recommend using a style of language suited to the type of relationship established with the recipient. It might be useful to highlight the characteristics of this relationship. In addition, knowing the position of each individual in the chain of command will help you write an email that conforms to the etiquette adopted in different work relationships.
Step 3. Express emotional states appropriately
This step can be particularly difficult for someone with no definite sense of e-mail protocols. One of the problems with email is that the emotional exchange is masked by the message in digital format.
Evaluate the correct use of emoticons. These little icons can be an important addition to a business email, but they can also risk making your message less effective. Use emoticons appropriately to convey your feelings to the recipient
Step 4. Ask for constructive feedback
When writing an email to request general feedback, you can sometimes be unpleasantly surprised by the negative and unnecessary responses received. Specify in the email that you would be grateful if you received constructive and goal-oriented comments.
Step 5. Ask specific questions
The more specific your questions are, the more relevant and concrete the answers will be.
