If someone walks into your office and asks you a question, you are generally forced to give them some kind of response, even if it is “I really don’t know.” Ignoring the person who is asking you the question is not an option. So why is it that so many people choose not to respond to e-mails?

If we want to reply so heavily on e-mail as a form of communication, we need to follow certain etiquette and remain professional, this includes replying to e-mails. If I need an answer to a question immediately, I would pick up the phone or go and see the appropriate person to get the answer. Ignoring my question in these two scenarios would be unacceptable. So why, when we use e-mail, is it so acceptable not to respond?

If you e-mail someone with a good, valid question, common courtesy is that you should receive some kind of response. If you don’t know the answer to a question you have received, you can even reply with a response indicating that you don’t know, that you have forwarded the question on to someone else, that you don’t understand what is being asked, and so on. Whatever your answer, it is common courtesy to send a reply instead of ignoring the e-mail.

On the flip side, you have those who over use this and reply to every e-mail over and over, even when a reply is not necessary. A good rule of thumb to follow is limit mail exchange to three.

1. Compose your question in an e-mail and send it to the recipient.

2. When you receive a question, send a response.
3. Reply acknowledging the response and thanking the individual.

Once again, there are always exceptions to the reply rule. Some e-mails may require for responses than others. Just remember, that e-mail is a form of communication between two people, so show some common courtesy and reply when required. Also limit responses so you do not fill up another person’s inbox with useless messages.