Before you click (send)…. check it again

Workers as well as squabbling lovers needs to take a deep breath before clicking (send)

Nicole worked in an insurance company and on one particular day, as they say, she lost control. After lunch, back at her work station, she used the office instant messaging service to vent a little of her frustrations. Nicole typed a devastating message about her supervisor to one of her colleague recipient, and then quickly clicked (send). Imagine her surprise when, as a response, she received a message from the person she was calling a bitch and all the bad names she could muster in the message she just had sent. (Were you talking about me? This type of language is inappropriate in a business like ours). Nicole was baffled and did not know what to do She surely never answered.

Humiliation and relief

She says that things have never been the same with her supervisor after that episode. One month after that incident, Nicole left her job and returned to school. (Leaving was both an humiliating and a relief), she is saying today. (I did not speak only for myself when I wrote that message. I was saying aloud about my supervisor what many co workers were whispering about her.) Nicole is certainly not the only person to have already sent an email to the wrong person. messages, with emails & new technologies, people are not only making working errors, they sometime make some errors while socializing with their co workers or after one to many alcoholic drinks.

Self control

With the internet its often a matter of common sense and self control. Everyone must know its limits and if you’ve been drinking too much, avoid sending emails. The next day, the message you wanted to send before will certainly be formulated differently. … that is if you still send one, of course. The etiquette and politeness on the web deteriorated at unbelievable speed since 14 years ago. But most people, when they exceed the limits, know how to recognize it. People already know that. They suddenly realize they have made a stupid mistake, after someone reported them, not always politely, that they have done something reprehensible. And nine times out of ten, these people say: I really did something stupid. What goes through my head? Email etiquette goes further than to weigh your words and be careful what you say and to whom. In the business world, linked to e-mail etiquette also requires that we write without wording mistakes or misspellings, and we should known and adapt our message in accordance to its recipient. But in a world of multiples written words and sounds and symbols of all kinds, the language is often neglected.

Avoid impulsiveness

So how to avoid sending an email in an impulsive manner? Know how to use self control and ask yourself one single question: Would I say the same thing to that person if that person was standing in front of me? Everyone is brave, even reckless with a keyboard and a screen, and some do things and use words they would never use if they were in front of the person to whom they are virtually addressing, personally, I believe that anything you do not have the courage to tell someone standing in front of you should ever find itself in an email or a text message, end of the line.

Some points to consider when preparing an email.

Does your message has proper contents and a polite greeting?   Make sure the email address is correct and that the recipient’s name is written correctly.   Avoid (replying to all) just to give your own opinion on a certain topic.   Make sure that your message has the tone you want it to be (reading it aloud can help you to do the checking).   Do not click (send) if your email is very emotive. Keep it in a draft and go over it once after the dust fallout. You will decide then if it is still advisable to send it.   Check for typos errors, their should never be any.   Demonstrate accuracy and include all details necessary to make your message understood.   check the grammar and make the necessary corrections.   Do not send an attachment unless you are sure that the recipient knows that it will be sent and make sure the file size is not too impressive.   Check the addresses twice, and make sure that the recipients are the people to whom you want to send your message.