EMAIL WRITING SKILLS
Part 3: How to write about ‘completed’ work…
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
We could write…
I’ve completed the task that was assigned to me. My existing skill-set was all I
needed. The experience was rewarding as it helped me hone my skills.
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
• A task or an action for which we needed a new skill
We could write…
I’ve completed the task that was assigned to me. I needed something more than my
existing skill-set. It was nice to acquire a new skill. I gained immensely from this
experience.
Note…
We always use some part of our existing skill-set. Hence, if we need to mention it,
we should.
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
• A task or action that requires us to learn some new skill
• Research (when we need to do additional research to complete a task)
We could write…
I’ve completed the task that was assigned to me. Not only did I acquire a new skill
in the process, the research I had to do has empowered me with new insights and
new information. The entire experience of using existing skills along with a new
one was enriching.
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
• A task or action that requires us to learn some new skill
• Research (when we need to do additional research to complete a task)
• Effort (when the task is complex and requires great effort)
We could write…
I’ve completed the task that was assigned to me by stepping beyond my skill-set. It
was interesting to learn a new skill in the process and gain several new insights
through the research that I did. It was a complex task and I worked hard to study
and understand it but I think I have benefitted immensely from the entire
experience.
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
• A task or action that requires us to learn some new skill
• Research (when we need to do additional research to complete a task)
• Effort (when the task is complex and requires great effort)
• Time (when the task is time-consuming)
We could write…
I’ve completed the task that was assigned to me. It was complex and it took quite a
bit of time to complete. But I enjoyed learning a new skill in the process as well as
the research part—which has empowered me with new insights and information.
Overall, I’d say it was a fantastic experience! I’m glad I got the opportunity to go
beyond my existing skill-set.
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
• A task or action that requires us to learn some new skill
• Research (when we need to do additional research to complete a task)
• Effort (when the task is complex and requires great effort)
• Time (when the task is time-consuming)
• Co-operation (when we need to work with a same-level colleague)
We could write…
I’ve completed the task assigned to me along with Nidhi. Working together was a
very enriching experience. Both of us have acquired a new skill as well as new
insights owing to all the research we did. The task was complex and timeconsuming but we’re feeling quite triumphant after accomplishing it. It’s good to go
beyond one’s skill-set and learn new things.
(Nidhi is a name I’ve come up with for a same-level colleague.)
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
• A task or action that requires us to learn some new skill
• Research (when we need to do additional research to complete a task)
• Effort (when the task is complex and requires great effort)
• Time (when the task is time-consuming)
• Co-operation (when we need to work with a same-level colleague)
• Delegation (when we need to work with juniors)
We could write…
I’ve completed the task assigned to me along with Nidhi and my dedicated team. It
was important to delegate work in an effective way and I’m glad that my strategy
worked. The task was complex and required a lot of time and research. We also
needed to acquire a new skill. But ultimately, the entire experience turned out to be
a very rewarding and empowering one. It’s nice to venture beyond one’s existing
skill-set.
(Nidhi is a name I’ve come up with for a same-level colleague.)
How do we write an email about completing the following type of work?
• A task or an action that requires our existing skill-set
• A task or action that requires us to learn some new skill
• Research (when we need to do additional research to complete a task)
• Effort (when the task is complex and requires great effort)
• Time (when the task is time-consuming)
• Co-operation (when we need to work with a same-level colleague)
• Delegation (when we need to work with juniors)
• Seeking direction (when we need to receive guidance from a senior)
We could write…
I’ve completed the task assigned to me along with Nidhi and my dedicated team
with regular guidance from Sameer. We have acquired new skills and new insights,
thanks to the research and the vast skill-set needed to complete the task. It was a
complex process which required a lot of time but we have benefitted from our
efforts immensely. It’s wonderful to discover skills beyond one’s existing skill set.
(Nidhi is a name I’ve come up with for a same-level colleague. Sameer is a name
I’ve come up with to refer to a senior colleague.)
If the email is going out to Sameer, we could write…
I’ve completed the task assigned to me along with Nidhi and my dedicated team
with regular guidance from you. Thank you, Sameer, for your time and efforts.
We have acquired new skills and new insights, thanks to the research and the vast
skill-set needed to complete the task. It was a complex process which required a lot
of time but we have benefitted from our efforts immensely. It’s wonderful to
discover skills beyond one’s existing skill set.
(Nidhi is a name I’ve come up with for a same-level colleague. Sameer is a name
I’ve come up with to refer to a senior colleague.)
Here are some options that can be used in place of “I’ve completed the task
assigned to me…”
• I’ve completed my assignment.
• I’ve completed the work allocated to me.
• I’ve completed the work delegated to me.
• I’ve completed my part of the project. (if this is the case)
• I’ve completed the project. (if this is the case)
• I’ve completed the work assigned to me.
• I’ve completed the report. (if this is the case)
• I’ve completed the process of sending invitations for the conference/conference
calls. (if this is the case)
• I’ve completed the steps necessary for arranging the meeting. (if this is the case)
• I’ve completed the steps necessary for organizing the event. (if this is the case)
• I’ve done the needful at my end.
• I’ve addressed the crisis. (if this is the case)
• I’ve taken care of loose ends. (if this is the case)
• I’ve taken necessary measures to solve the problem. (if this is the case)
• I’ve delegated work. (if this is the case)
• I’ve informed the client. (if this is the case)
• I’ve informed the vendor. (if this is the case)
• I’ve taken steps to ensure that the feedback is implemented. (if this is the case)
• I’ve taken necessary action and informed the team. (if this is the case)
• I’ve analyzed the data and prepared a presentation. (if this is the case)
• I’ve made the necessary arrangements for the training program. (if this is the
case)
• I’ve made the calls I was supposed to make. (if this is the case)
• I’ve prepared the budget for future expenses. (if this is the case)
• I’ve organized the trip. (if this is the case)
• I’ve updated our records to reflect changes. (if this is the case)
• I’ve informed everyone in the team about the new policy. (if this is the case)
• I’ve communicated the necessary information to HR. (if this is the case)
If the task is simple and doesn’t require any extra effort, then we simply say, “I’ve
completed the task” or use any of the options provided in earlier slides depending
upon the situation.
However, if the task is complex, it is a good idea to mention the elements that went into
accomplishing the task. There’s an important reason for this. During our appraisal, we
can refer to our emails about “task completion” to collate a list of simple as well as
complex tasks that we’ve completed during our appraisal cycle.
We need to remember a few things at all times.
• We must not project simple tasks as complex tasks.
• We must not project tasks which can be done quickly as time-consuming tasks.
• As far as possible, we should write a sentence about the experience of
completing a task. (That’s why there are phrases like “rewarding experience”
and “enriching experience” in this presentation.)
• We must not project incomplete work as complete work.
While it is important to write grammatically correct English, it is more important to
be honest and not project anything which is not true. Our actions always speak
louder than our words and so if we project something which is not true in our
emails about ‘completed’ work, we run the risk of being labelled as liars.
It’s very difficult to recover from being branded a liar as our reputation gets
destroyed and people start thinking we’re unprofessional and unethical.
This word of caution brings us to the end of this presentation. Thank you and Happy
Emailing!
~ just another trainer