11/ 21/ 2006
by Matt Kelley
One wrong click started Tim Miller's nightmare.
In just a few seconds, the CEO of Rally Software Development in Boulder, Colo., sent an e-mail containing sensitive information meant only for select board members to his entire staff.
"The board package had all our salary and stock-option information, and everyone in the company had an opportunity to see it," Miller says. "One employee quit the next day."
We've all sent and received e-mails by mistake. Whether they're sloppy, misleading or just plain indecipherable, they all scream the same thing: unprofessional. As technology infiltrates every aspect of business, e-mail has become the most popular communication tool at the office. But it's important to approach e-mails as you would any other kind of communication.
"There are people who don't treat their e-mails like business letters," says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work (St. Martin's Press, 2005). "Instant familiarity has become prevalent because technology has become very quick, and we want to be quick and make things easier for ourselves."
The best way to avoid looking bad to clients and colleagues is to consider every e-mail you send a formal letter or memo. Pay attention to spelling, punctuation and style.
It's OK for your e-mail exchanges to become more casual eventually, but let it happen naturally. A good rule of thumb is to adjust your style as the other person does. For example, if a client named Dr. Richard Farnsworth signs an e-mail "Richie," it's safe to assume you can refer to him as such and that a certain level of informality is in order. But don't make assumptions simply because you're sending an e-mail rather than a formal memo.
NFIB.com
Wondering how long to keep all those e-mails? Check out the NFIB Legal Foundation's Small-Business Guide to Document Retention, available exclusively to NFIB members at www.NFIB.com/legal.
E-mail Dos and Don'ts
Follow these tips to keep your messages clear:
- DO double- and triple-check your "to" and "cc" (carbon copy) fields. If necessary, turn off your auto-complete feature.
- DON'T type in all capital letters. It's the same thing as shouting in cyberspace.
- DO include all of your contact information in your signature.
- DON'T include graphic or animated text in your signature, since it can bog down your recipients' inboxes.
- DO add recipients' e-mail addresses to the blind carbon copy field when sending a message to a large group. Most people consider their e-mail address private--and want to keep it that way.
- DON'T include a string of previous messages unless they are relevant to the current discussion.
- DO develop an e-mail policy for employees to protect your business from messages they send.
- DON'T forward jokes to clients or employees, even if they seem harmless. You never know how someone will interpret the message.
