3
Prioritize Your Paragraphs

Walking into work can occasionally feel like stepping inside a blender; the day becomes a blur of activity, with too much to do and too little time in which to do it. It’s hardly surprising that many people save time by only reading the first few sentences of an e-mail. If the first paragraph doesn’t catch their attention, then it’s a quick flick of the erase button and on to the next message. To make sure your message gets read—amid the torrent of daily e-mails—think about what paragraph contains the most meaningful information, and place it at the top, with the least important paragraph being the last.

Exercise

Read through the following e-mail and prioritize each paragraph by writing its position number in the space provided. (Position #1 = first paragraph, position #2 = second paragraph, and so on.)

Subject: Upcoming Steering Committee Meeting
From: Willy Ketchum
Date: August 8
To: All Department Heads

Dear Steering Committee Members:

Position Number______

As many of you remarked, the last meeting was very unorganized, with an outcome that was disappointing after discussions lasting for more than two hours. The meeting started 15 minutes late, and then ran over by 40 minutes. As the organizer, I owe everyone a big apology, and I am working dilligently to make the next meeting better.

Position Number______

The headlines from the last meeting that I have gathered together, from your comments and my own memory, are as follows: (1) New delivery trucks should all leave a small carbon footprint. (2) Our logo should be on the sides, back, and top of the trucks so it can be seen by passing air traffic. (3) They should all be equipped with satellite navigation units.

Position Number______

For the next meeting I have invited Mr. Collins, from dispatch, to come and talk to us about how the delivery process works and in what ways the trucks are to be used. This way we can all be on the same page.

Position Number______

The next meeting is on Tuesday, August 21, at 10 a.m. To make the time work for Mr. Collins, we will be meeting at the Jones Road Warehouse. I suggest we carpool. Please contact me if you need a ride.

Sincerely,

Willy Ketchum

Answers and Rationale

Position 1: The next meeting is on Tuesday, August 21, at 10 a.m. To make the time work for Mr. Collins, we will be meeting at the Jones Road Warehouse. I suggest we carpool. Please contact me if you need a ride.

This paragraph contains the vital information for the next meeting. By putting it first you insure that every recipient, no matter how little of the e-mail they might read, has what they need for the next meeting.

Position 2: The headlines from the last meeting that I have gathered together, from your comments and my own memory, are as follows: (1) New delivery trucks should all leave a small carbon footprint. (2) Our logo should be on the sides, back, and top of the trucks so it can be seen by passing air traffic. (3) They should all be equipped with satellite navigation units.

Once everyone has the information about where and when, this paragraph serves to support the next meeting by reminding readers of the key topics from the last meeting.

Position 3: For the next meeting I have invited Mr. Collins, from dispatch, to come and talk to us about how the delivery process works and in what ways the trucks are to be used. This way we can all be on the same page.

Although this is useful information, it doesn’t matter if it is never read because it can easily be announced to the attendees once they are in the meeting.

Position 4: As many of you remarked, the last meeting was very unorganized, with an outcome that was disappointing after discussions lasting for more than two hours. The meeting started 15 minutes late and then ran over by 40 minutes. As the organizer, I owe everyone a big apology, and I am working diligently to make the next meeting better.

Acknowledging the mess-up at the last meeting is commendable, but, because it has no direct impact on the next meeting, putting it as the first paragraph uses up space for more pertinent information.