4th ZABB Principle - Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should

The 4th Principle of Zen and the Art of BlackBerry is "Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should". This is really more about a broader sense of communication etiquette, but it is especially important when managing how you send email messages.

Just because you can . . .
Send a 5 paragraph email message, doesn't mean you should.
Some people insist on sending the 'War and Peace' (Leo Tolstoy's 1400+ page, 560,000 word epic novel just in case you do not understand the reference) version of everything, do not be one of these people. I get 150-200 email messages per day, so I do not have time for your verbose over-indulgent prose. Here are some alternatives to sending a 2000 word essay as an email:

• Attach a document (1 page text, or 2-3 Power Point Slides)
• Boil it down to a handful of concise bullet points and keep it simple
  
• Get to the point already
  
• PICK UP THE PHONE
• Step away from the Cubicle and walk over to have a real live chat
• Schedule some time to discuss whether via the phone or in person

Refer to any of the following web sites for more information about the specific strategy. You could go as far as I have and include a link to one in your email signature line:

Five Sentences
Four Sentences
Three Sentences
Two Sentences

Just because you can . . .
Send an impassioned email response, doesn't mean you should.
The best cure I have found for NOT sending these email bombs is to "Save As Draft". Wait at least 4 hours then read again and decide if you really want to hit send. Take a deep breath, center yourself and release. Sometimes the act of witting gets it off your chest without having to actually send it.

Remember one of Murphy's Laws: You Can't Cure Stupid. Do not think that your precisely and strong worded email message is going to actually do the trick. Many generations that have come before you have attempted to cure this infectious disease with no luck. Trust me, there is no cure. As my philosophy professor once said, "Some people just drive around with their high-beams on all the time."

Just because you can . . .
Forward every email message you think is funny to a distro, doesn't mean you should.
I call this the 'eff dubl ew kolen' (aka FW:) syndrome. Don't get me wrong, there are some extremely funny emails that get forwarded no doubt. But if you have a distribution list specifically to forward those spam messages to everyone you know, you are an eff dubl ew kolen. Please stop this now. There is a great quote from a movie that puts it in perspective for the ef dubl ew kolens of the world:

"Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor but they couldn't possibly all have good taste [and a good sense of humor]."
When Harry Met Sally (A Rob Reiner Film), dialog by Marie played by Carrie Fisher

There are a lot of other "Just because you can, doesn't mean you shoulds" out there. The bottom line is that by you should have a strategy that works for email by now and you must extend this and expand how you communicate (with and without your devices). More face to face meetings, phone calls and personal and social interaction. You will finally free yourself from that burden of sorrow, and maybe help out the rest of us a little bit too.