Morley Safer’s Embarrassing Emails! 3 Tips for Appropriate Work Email.

From Mike Song, CEO GetControl.net Email Productivity Training

Effective, Appropriate Email Tips: 3 Things You Should Never, Ever Put in a Workplace – Office Email!

“Mike Song you have scared me half to death!” – CNN’s TJ Holmes upon hearing what is and is not appropriate to put in an email.

Morley Safer’s embarrassing email has come back to haunt him.  Personally, I think it’s actually horrible to expose someone’s private correspondence to the world. Poor Morley – he’s a great newsman, but for the record, he did say some pretty awful things.   My job is to keep you and your team out of that kind of trouble!

Our effective, efficient, and  appropriate email training helps 25% of the Fortune 500 reduce embarrassing, inappropriate email and saves millions in legal liability costs. Here are 3 things you should never, ever put in a work email:

1.   Avoid emotions – especially anger.  Wait 24 hours if you feel you have to send it — and tone it wayyyyyyy down!  Once it leaves your outbox – na na na naaa na, hey hey hey….goodbye – it’s gone forever.

2.  Avoid conjecture – stick to the facts! If you think someone isn’t pulling their weight – it may seem like laziness – but in fact, it could be due to a family tragedy, a health issue, etc.   Don’t write that email that guesses at the cause.  If you’re wrong and your victim somehow sees your email – you’ll be wiping egg off your face for the next year.

3.  Avoid grey-area emails. When you hear a little voice in your head saying, “Hmmm – is this really a good idea to send this message?”  Stop writing and hit delete.  Your organization’s legal liability and email confidentiality team will thank you.  As it turns out, even the most innocent comment can be framed as a smoking gun in court.   As a rule, avoid forwarding viral words of wisdom, jokes, conspiracy theories, and political rants.

Mike Song, Lead Author, The Hamster Revolution 2/15/2011