Saturday, September 17, 2011

The 12 Commandments: Email Edition

I came across an interesting article found on prdaily.com titled, "12 Unnecessary Email Mistakes." The basic idea of the article was to inform every one of the stupid mistakes that people make in emails and the big consequences that follow their email actions. It is one thing to just read through and see the dos and don’ts of email "netiquette", but to actually take these suggestions and utilize them in everyday message interactions is a totally different story.

Below are three of my favorite of the 12 commandments

1. "Thou Shalt Keep it Clean." There is a time and place for profane language, slurs, or slang, and in the workplace or professional setting is definitely not it. It can cause confusion and misunderstanding on the receiver’s side of the message, leaving the message worthless. Keep the casual conversation and language for after work between friends.

2. "Thou Shalt not SHOUT AT PEOPLE." This is where the sender tries to emphasize a point with cap locks. I get that there are some important statements or sentences that need to be the focus, so do just that. Make the email revolve around the focal point. If it isn't worth its own separate, important email then maybe you should back off the shift and cap locks keys and rethink why you are sending it.

3. "Remember that email is never the first/last/only communication tool." With so many tools of communication it is silly to not take advantage of them. I know from personal experience, when someone is trying to get a hold of me just email or just a text message doesn’t always do the job. In the workplace or organization surroundings it would be a good idea to actually get up and get out there! Meet coworkers and make sure that your message is being properly portrayed. It is very easy to misunderstand or misread a text or message, but if you get out of your own cubicle or leave the comfort of your technology the response and level of comprehension will more than likely be improved.

Overall, this was a very informative article. I think from now on I will be more conscious of the amount and substance of the emails or messages I am sending. Maybe a future Career Services program?  

2 comments:

  1. I agree with the article. A lot of people might think this stuff is elementary, but there are tons of people who do this type of stuff all the time!

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  2. Career Services should definitely look into a program on email etiquette! I think that people our age are so used to communicating through mediums like Facebook and texting that they sometimes forget that although emails are a similar medium they need to be written in a professional manner. Good insight Paige!

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