subject: The Perils Of Email [print this page] Many of us can honestly say we can"t imagine life without the convenience of email. We do everything from our email accounts. Our calendars pop up to remind us of our third cousin"s birthday without fail each year, reminders let us know our favorite show comes on TV tonight and we even send e-vites to everyone on our contact list for next weekend"s cookout. But what happens when email is used for those less than kind reasons?
Have you ever gotten an email THAT"S IN ALL CAPS AND WITH ENTIRELY TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS?!?!? If so, you might have even found yourself physically pulling away. It"s disconcerting when we think someone is yelling at us and we either don"t know why or we"re not even sure if those all caps were used to ensure the anger come across. Then, it gets worse. We look at everyone else who was copied on the email and suddenly, our faces turn red and we realize the email included an audience.
One of two things usually happens- we either get fired up and fire back our own loud email or we ignore it because we don"t know what else to do. A. Harrison Barnes, career coach and founder of Hound.com says these emails aren"t that uncommon in the workforce. And, unfortunately, most everyone knows what an all-caps email means. Before you respond to the less than kind electronic face off, there are a few things you should know.
One survey found that a full twenty six percent of American companies have discharged employees for inappropriate emails. That"s significant, says Barnes. Instead of going with your first instinct, you might be better served by stepping away from your desk. Stand up, take a short walk "" anything that will allow you a few minutes to think clearly. At this point, it"s not about who"s right or wrong. Once you"re back in front of the monitor and can"t resist the urge to reply, go ahead and type out that reply "" just don"t send it. Save it in your Drafts folder or even better, open up a blank Word document so that there"s possibility of the email being sent accidentally.
Another suggestion A. Harrison Barnes suggests is to assume the email"s not meant the way you took it. It could very well be the author of the email didn"t realize her "Caps Lock" was on and by the time she realized it, she could very easily have decided she didn"t have time to re-type it. It happens. Finally, says the Hound.com founder, your best bet may not to even reply at all "" at least not in electronic form. Walk over to her office for a calm face to face. Start with, "I replied to your email but didn"t send it; but thought I"d come talk to you for a second to be sure we"re on the same page". Sometimes, it"s simple statements such as those that are the cure-all. Your goal, regardless of how you proceed, is to not allow the situation to escalate.
