Do you have trouble getting answers to e-mail you send? Are there some people with whom you need to communicate on a regular basis who not only don't answer your e-mail, but also are seldom available to take your phone calls?

Before you chalk up the lack of communication to other people's bad work habits or rudeness, take a close look at your own communication style. [...] Here are some of the most aggravating e-mail faux pas to avoid.

1. Marking e-mail messages you send out with an exclamation point to indicate high importance for routine matters.
Yes, you want people to read e-mail you send, and, yes, you think the matter is important. But marking everything as high importance is going to have the opposite effect. Those who frequently receive e-mail from you marked with an exclamation point will start ignoring it -- and be mad at you for sending so many e-mail messages marked high importance.

2. Demanding immediate response when it's not warranted.
Just because something is important to you doesn't mean that others should drop what they're doing to answer your question or do what you want done. They have their priorities, too. Not only will they get mad at you, but if requests aren't truly urgent, they'll soon be ignored -- just like the fabled boy who cried "Wolf!" too often. So, if the matter you're discussing in e-mail isn't truly urgent (i.e., no one is going to suffer any harm or damage if whatever you want done isn't handled the same day), then don't ask for immediate action. And, if something really does need to be handled right away, explain why. (And remember to say "Please" and "Thank You.")