In the workplace it is absolutely essential to follow rules of proper decorum to ensure effective communication and nowhere is this more apparent than email behavior.
I am of the belief that people save emails and they do it over time and can harvest them for any number of reasons…and even the most petty and trivial emails can be harmful if you are not careful.
I try to be mindful of my manners and my emails are focused and to the point and I rarely if ever have emails that contain personal observations about people…whether good or bad. The workplace is a political place where people form alliances that sometimes divide a team and the last thing you want to do is take sides!
I also avoid using all caps which appear like screaming…
I know a fair amount on this subject because I have made my share of mistakes…some are listed below:
“Hey bro, sorry about that call transfer getting lost…guy was a jerk anyway…every time he calls he expects us to kiss his butt..LOL”
“Boss, sorry I was late…traffic was horrible, let me know if this is a big deal..shouldn’t be though after all the stuff I do for people around here”
“Hey Ann, the next time you decide to break the dress code could you at least wear the jersey of a winning team?”
Some of these might seem harmless but in poor taste…true…but people saved them and used them as examples of how I did not act professionally…and during my time at those companies my annual review or bid for a promotion were disrupted by seemingly minor infractions.
I have learned from my mistakes which is easier when the offenses were minor…but what about the major mistakes?
Some more examples below:
In response to a group email about the new birthday club officer in charge of collecting money for the various upcoming birthdays…“Seems like Shirley is always volunteering for things…too bad she is never at her desk..isn’t that where we need her?”
In response to a bulletin regarding a coworker’s promotion…
“Gary worked very hard at getting to know the job..true…but having a relative on the board also helped”
These mistakes were fatal…for a couple of reasons…first and foremost they were petty and childish and I regret them…but they were intended for one recipient and ended up going out to the wrong person every time…I was young and full of energy but I was also a destructive personality that seemed to feel better when I knocked someone down a peg or two.
Email is a tool for communicating with people in and out of the company and one thing to be sure is…all emails are the property of the company!
So whether you are using the instant messaging feature or the email system that allows for a lengthy message…be aware that all of it can and will be archived.
I learned the hard way…the above mentioned examples are a humbling reminder of what happens when we act without thinking. Email Etiquette written by Ken Bownes
