BLUF your boss for better work emails

Last Updated on Wednesday, 7 July 2010 07:01 Written by Ryan Durkin Monday, 5 July 2010 10:41

A surefire way to have your email misinterpreted or downright deleted is to bury your request in a mountain of unnecessary background information. When you lead with the meat - the purpose, request, and deadlines – you’re engaging in a fun, effective technique called BLUFing your boss. BLUF stands for Bottom Line Up Front a technique that puts everything the reader needs to know at the top of the email.

We write hundreds of email every week (for some of us, it’s everyday). These emails may include announcements that your employees need to know, an update to your boss about a roadblock on your current project, or a request for your resume to be read by a recruiter. Needless to say, the emails you write are important. Too bad your readers may not share this same viewpoint.

To them, every second they spend reading your email is time taken away from them doing real work. The faster you let your readers get on with their work, the more courteous, professional, and effective you will be.

Before you write anything in your email, state in as few sentences as possible (one being optimal) what it is you need the reader to do. This ensures your recipient can immediately absorb and act on your message without overextending your grip on their time. If someone can determine what you need by only reading the first sentence, then you’re on the way to becoming a full fledge BLUF master. Here are some examples:

Subject: Progress Report

Boss,

I am currently at an impasse on project X because the production line is down. I’ve developed three proposals to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Please let me know what proposal would work best.

Subject: Mid Year Reviews

To all employees,

Please read the training article below before submitting your mid year reviews. Please have all reviews submitted to me by Friday.

Subject: Help on Career Change

Dear Management Consultant,

What is the best way to change from one career track to another? The specifics of my situation are provided below.

Notice that in the examples above, the purpose, request, and any needed deadlines are addressed at the beginning of the email. You’re letting the reader decide if they need to read more of the background, rather than dumping it all in the beginning. The more willing you are to respect their time, the more willing they are to give you the response you’re after.

Once you’ve gotten comfortable BLUFing, don’t be surprised if people start reacting more favorably to your email requests. It’s a small change that can bring dramatic results.