Reply All and Other E-mail GaffesThe first rule of thumb when it comes to e-mail: Never say anything you don't want broadcast to the world. Examples of e-mail faux pas are endless. There was the research coordinator who bad-mouthed her boss in an e-mail... and sent it to the printer in her boss's office. Or the HR executive who intended to send a layoff list to her boss, but instead, sent it to "All users." How about the public relations manager who sent an off-color joke to a co-worker -- but instead it went to the entire company, including national and international offices? E-effects E-mail communication has exploded in the last decade, replacing much of what used to take place over face-to-face conversation. In the past five years alone, e-mail volume has doubled to more than 40 billion person-to-person e-mails daily, according to IDC, a Massachusetts-based research firm. The average e-mail user spends more than 30 per cent of a given day creating, organizing, reading and responding to messages. Needless to say, e-mail has changed communication in the workplace. "[E-mail] has, in many ways, weakened business relationships rather than strengthen them," says Cherie Kerr, author of "The Bliss or 'Diss' Connection: E-mail Etiquette for the Business Professional." "All of us using e-mail miss out on making strong connections with people we should and could be conversing with via telephone or in person." E-manners With so much time spent e-mailing at work, there is also a lack of e-mail etiquette. How much time do you waste trying to decode a poorly written e-mail? How many times are you copied on a message you didn't need to be copied on? How many e-mail blasts do you get informing you of donuts on the third floor or cake to celebrate Susie's birthday? All of these are examples of e-pet peeves we should get a handle on. Here are 12 e-mail gaffes to avoid at work: Reply all Think twice before choosing this option, say Pamela Holland and Marjorie Brody, co-authors of "Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?" Consider who really needs to hear your response. Single out the addresses of whom you need reply. For a 1,000-person company, this practice alone could reduce 5,700 e-mails per day. One-liners Be careful about using e-mails to say only 'thank you' or 'OK,' Holland and Brody advise. "Please say more than a word or two. One-word e-mail replies are no better than spam." Next time, put 'no reply necessary' at the top. Delete Even when you delete a message, it's still accessible on the hard drive. Before sending, consider what may happen if the message is read by someone else -- like the boss. Missing subject Find the main point of your e-mail and state it, Kerr says. "No one wants to take a read around the block trying to get to the heart of your message." No response Reply to every e-mail within 24 hours unless it is spam, Kerr advises. "If you were in someone's presence and they said something to you, would you just stand there silent for hours or days?" Kerr asks. Smileys and emoticons If you wouldn't put a smiley face or emoticon on your business correspondence, you shouldn't put it in an e-mail message, says Peggy Duncan, author of "Conquer E-mail Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003." Using abbreviations Professionals should avoid using shortcuts such as '4 u' or 'Gr8' in a business-related e-mail, Duncan says. This is different from legitimate abbreviations like 'EOD' (end of day) or NRN (no reply necessary). Attachments First, keep attachments to a minimum, Holland and Brody say. The larger the file, the longer it takes to download and the more memory it uses on the recipient's computer. Second, don't send an e-mail with an attachment and no body, Duncan says. Third, don't send an e-mail talking about an attachment and then forget to attach it at all. Poor editing Proofread all e-mails for proper grammar, punctuation and spelling, Kerr says. Poor composition, weak writing skills, misspellings and grammar mistakes read 'unprofessional.' Content improvements demonstrate an average 10 to 20 percent reduction in necessary e-mail time. Address abuse Not everyone wants his or her names and information forwarded on for the world to see. No 'Bcc' and pages of e-mail addresses in the message, Duncan says. Cut and paste Many try to save time by using the same body of an e-mail for multiple recipients -- but they forget to change the names and pertinent information. If you commit this error, Kerr suggests being honest about your mistake and hoping they forgive you and understand. "I'm sure they've done it once or twice themselves," she says. Adverse comments "E-mail is not the place to make negative comments," Holland and Brody say. Nevertheless, it can be a good way to give bad news because there's no sugarcoating -- just the facts. If the news is bad, delivering in person may be better -- it shows the messenger cares about the recipient's feelings. Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
Last Updated: 24/09/2007 - 3:50 PM
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