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April 2004
By Brian O'Grady Email Etiquette 101 Q: Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I'm often accused of writing inflammatory emails that lead to online arguments. What am I doing wrong? A: This topic is so common it seems unworthy of attention but in reality is important to discuss: email etiquette. Everyone knows someone, or is someone, who has suffered a classic email blunder. The same attributes that make the medium so valuable: its immediacy and ability to go multiple places at once, are the same ones that makes it so dangerous. Add the permanency of the written word, and you've got a recipe for disaster. A comparable medium with some of the same risks is the conference call. But even conference calls enjoy the benefits of tone, immediate error correction, and rarely leaving a permanent record behind. The main conference call pitfall is the prospect of unannounced audience members. But email suffers from all of these risks and many more. The only way to avoid them is to follow some simple but rigorous rules when writing email. First off, there is simple etiquette such as AVOIDING CAPITALS that read like yelling, and being aware of the potential for multiple interpretations of your text. Misinterpretations can be mitigated through the appropriate use of "smileys", though some readers find them annoying. ;) Likewise, the "reply all" function is rarely a good way to communicate. Secondly, never make any assumptions about the relative safety of a CC list on an email message. It's too easy for a colleague with good intentions to add a customer to a thread that you think is ‚ and always will be ‚ internal. Any time there is disagreement, it's best to step away from the keyboard and resolve the situation by phone or in person. Failing to nip conflict in the bud with a telephone call often leads to another common email blunder: CC wars. Always try to resolve issues with someone one-on-one before involving a third party. As soon as one person in a dispute sees a third party on an address list, especially if it's an authority figure, you can be sure lasting ill will is spawned. "CC wars" often degenerate into larger arguments that add more participants and higher authorities with each response. Of course, this also means further ill will and a larger waste of time for everyone. Use of the 'BCC' or blind carbon copy field is exceptionally bad etiquette and should be treated with extreme caution. Unpleasant behaviour via email is more jarring because of the written word. Your hastily typed and hot-headed response ‚ even if you're right ‚ is never the right way to go. If you simply must respond to an unpleasant message via email, never complete the address field until you're sure you want to send it. Simply venting frustration by writing your thoughts often gives you the time you need to cool off without the risk of making the situation any worse by actually sending the message whether intentionally or otherwise. So, with all this in mind, how do you use email without making any of the transgressions listed here? It's an old rule but a goodie: never write anything you wouldn't want your mother, or anyone who's even mentioned in the discussion, to read. Brian O'Grady is a senior writer with Pens 4 Hire, a professional writing firm with a unique appreciation for audience. Between writing tasks for high-tech, government and non-profits, Brian tries to learn proper grouting technique for his bathroom tile. |