Email Etiquette: Doing the Right Thing…

How do you respond to those “ooooo so and so just sent a NASTY email to the group” instances? More often than not when I get tagged into chains that have gone from professional and work related right into an electronic shouting match I usually take the here are the facts (implying now stop this chain), or we will look into this and reply to all (again, stop this chain) and have occasionally went to the this is what you were hired to do and what we pay you for approach. I try my hardest to not ever send nasty toned emails at work and have even taken to re-reading most of the emails I send prior to hitting sent just to make sure it is clear, concise and free from emotion. I do secretly enjoy jumping into the fray when the bad chains break out and pulling the brakes on a fellow co-worker who has gone rogue with their Outlook account.

Simple rules

1. Consider the other person’s feeling – would you say it to the person’s face?
2. Consider other people’s time. Keep the message simple and to the point.
3. Respect other people’s privacy.
4. Put your best foot forward. You will be judged online as you are in person.
5. Respond to emails timely.
6. Remember tone. The wrong tone can send the wrong message.
7. Include a description on the subject line. Will help tell the reader the nature of the email.
8. Copy others when necessary. Don’t cc: everyone you know on the email. It may not pertain to them.  Don’t bcc: blind copying can be hurtful.
9. Don’t blind copy another person on an email that the person wasn’t part of in the first place. This can ruin relationships (business or personal).
10. And most on all – No spamming.

Think before your hit the send button

Before your send any email you should have your ducks in a row and have read your message over. Email is used for business communication but can cause tension and confusion. Now that you and your ducks are in a row you need to consider the other person’s feelings. You do not want to offend your recipient right? Ask yourself, would I say this if the person was standing in front of me? Don’t use your company’s email as a tool to bully, harass or intimidate. Think twice how the other person will perceive your message. Remember on the receive end of your email we cannot see your facial expressions, hear your tone or ask for clarification immediately. Email can be a great way to send and receive information; it also works well for messaging. You recipient will receive your typed thoughts in a few seconds; think, think, think before you hit send. Even without delving into the list of rules above keep these rules in mind no matter what the situation is or circumstances behind your email are: keep it brief, consider other people’s time, keep a professional tone, consider how others in your workplace will or might react. Think, proof-read and keep it work related.

Social Media: The Ground Rules

Most of us use social media. It doesn’t always have the professional circumstances that work emails do if used improperly, but the rules and common courtesy can be just as important. We all need to be respectful and be able to differentiate between personal and business use. If a person sends a message through social media which happens to be work related, it is a great idea to respond in a timely fashion. It is also a great idea to respond using your proper etiquette for example “Please send that information through my work email so I can be sure to respond”. This can help to keep business related communications, business related. By using proper etiquette you will help to draw a clear line between utilizing social media for social stuff and work stuff, basically utilizing personal social media professionally if it applies to work.

Another great example of ground rules is to be clear and concise of what your expectations from the other person are. And for the bonus round, offering certain times you are available through the utilization of social media. It is very important to respect the rules of email etiquette both personally and professionally.

Conclusion
It is very hard to know what is right and what is wrong when responding to emails. A little common sense and some courtesy can help you there. Everyone in today’s society is in a hurry and rushed and this leads to responding to emails fast. Many times people do not take the time to proof an email leading to misinterpretations on the receiver end.

There are many common and professional courtesies that can be used in our day to day electronic interactions. Things like saying thank you, asking for clarifications if you are unclear on timelines or assignments, trying to not over-email, and never forget the Golden Rule; re-read (and edit if necessary) before you hit send.

If we all take just a few minutes to be courteous and professional before we fire off our next email the world will be a better place, both the cyber-world and the physical-world

Works Cited Respond to an argumentative email. Communication Briefings. Aug2013, Vol. 32 Issue 10, p1-1. www.CommunicationBriefings.com Dahi, S. (2013). Sleepless in Cyberspace: Managing Communication in a 24/7 World. The American Consumer.