When you receive a fax or envelope marked urgent, you usually open it immediately. Why? Simply because the word “Urgent” is an indicator that the contents require your attention. You can apply the same idea to email messages through the subject line. In doing so, you can help you co-workers manage their email because they will be better able to prioritize messages they receive from you. Furthermore, you will be modeling good email etiquette and your co-workers will adopt the same practice.

When you create an email, consider putting an indicator directly into the subject line so the recipient is able to prioritize. Given that some of us receive hundreds of emails a day, it helps to ensure that those important emails do not get lost. Some examples of useful indicators include:

• Urgent
• For Review
• For Approval
• Action Required
• No Action Required
• FYI (For Your Information)
• Response Required

An important point to remember is that you should only use the word Urgent in the subject line when the email truly is priority.

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