Tip of the Month

Never say anything in an email you wouldn’t say to your mother, a nun, your boss, the National Post or your worst enemy.

Email Myths

MYTH:  The email recipients will interpret your message as you meant it to be understood.
TRUTH: Writing the same words that you speak can leave your message open to many different and sometimes damaging interpretations. People say things in email they would never say to someone in person. It is difficult to assess true meaning or intention when there is no human contact, no eye contact, no facial expression, no voice cues or body language to read along with the message. You cannot see that tongue in cheek.

MYTH:  Email saves time.
TRUTH: Not always. It may not be read immediately and then you will still have to follow up with a phone call. If issues are complicated it takes time to write an email that will be clearly understood.

MYTH:  Employees and customers prefer email to face to face discussions.
TRUTH: Abuse and misuse of email is doing more to damage workplace and customer relations than any other form of communication. A smiley face on an email is not the same as a smile on your face or the face of your boss. It is important to leave your office on occasion and discuss matters in person. It is also good for your circulation.

MYTH:  When a message has been sent, the receiver will read it.
TRUTH: Even if you receive a reply that the message has been opened, there is no guarantee the message has been read.

MYTH:  Email is private.
TRUTH: The immediacy of this communication beguiles people into thinking they are having a private conversation just like writing a letter, sealing it in an envelope that no one will open and dropping it in the mail. This message may pass through hundreds of networks on the way to its destination.

MYTH:  When an email is sent regarding a work related issue, you can forget about the issue until you get a response.
TRUTH: This is a terrific excuse for procrastinating. Be proactive and ask for a response by a certain time and then make your business plans accordingly.

Emoticons

What are emoticons?

They are symbols used to express emotions in emails so that in the absence of visual cues and tone of voice, the receiver will be able to interpret the message with more clarity. In business emails they would be considered juvenile or unprofessional but if you like to use them in personal situations, go ahead.

Here are a few just for fun (tilt your head to the left to read):

Geek Speak

Are you often confused by acronyms and abbreviations netizens use in emails? You are not alone. There are a few hundred in common useage. Only use them if you are sure your recipient knows the lingo. Here are a few:

Ruder Than Rude

We have all encountered rudeness in everyday life. Sometimes, however, there are situations which are so bad they are almost unbelievable. Here is your chance to tell the world about your most outstanding experience with rudeness.

For this month I have chosen two submissions shared by readers that relate to this months topic:

"I had recently switched jobs and was emailing my new contact information to business associates and friends. One of my friends sent a reply to the whole list saying: "So how was your dirty weekend?” I was really embarrassed and even more so when a couple of the business contacts replied with "Well?"

     - J. Fowler, Cranbrook, BC

"A good friend of mine and her new husband came to visit me for a few days from out of state. I don’t know her husband very well and for no particular reason I have never really liked him. He asked me if he could use my computer to check his email. Of course I said no problem. As my friend and I had not seen each other for quite a while we had lots to catch up on so I didn’t notice how long her husband was on the computer but it was quite a long time. I thought that was rather rude but I didn’t say anything. A few days after they had gone I checked the history on my computer and found he had been visiting porno sites all that time. I am really ticked. Bad enough he did this, but on my computer! I am in a very awkward position and wonder if I should tell my friend. The only good thing is now I have a really good reason for not liking him."

     - C. Graham

Flaming Mad

Flaming is a term used to refer to emails that evoke extreme emotion. It is a phenomenon particular to this form of communication. The effects of an emotional telephone call or personal conversation leave no trace and fade with time. A letter containing heated words may sit around for a while allowing for a cooling off period before a response is written. email on the other hand can be responded to quickly and easily, circulated or printed, and before long reaches a status the sender never intended or imagined.

What are the causes of flaming?

• There is no feedback during the period a message is sent as there is with face to face conversations or telephone calls.
• There are no face to face interpersonal cues or body language.
• Messages look very similar so the level of formality is difficult to determine.
• The ease of responding quickly without sufficient forethought is too tempting.
• Attempts at humour, sarcasm, wit or irony are not always obvious to the receiver who may interpret it as criticism.

What can you do if you are flamed?

• Resist the temptation to respond immediately.
• Reread the message. You may have misinterpreted it. Perhaps you should give the writer the benefit of the doubt.
• If you must, draft a response but let it sit overnight.
• Break the message-response cycle by having a face to face conversation.
• Respond to opinions with relevant facts or evidence rather than an emotional counter attack.

Formetiquette

Formatting finesse -- timely tips for formatting your emails and improving your Netiquette.

• Use plain text rather than HTML as it takes up much less memory.
• Always complete the subject heading as a courtesy to others. Make sure the subject accurately conveys the message you are sending. Change the subject line to match your reply.
• Do not use Request Read Receipt (RRR) for every personal email you send. It is annoying and intrusive.
• Avoid sending emails to more than four addresses at once; create a mailing list instead. No one likes to have to scroll down a whole list of names to get to the message.
• Be careful using certain keys that are used to express emotion: all capitals, exclamation points, underlining, red font, or large fonts. It is the equivalent of shouting. Avoid using chat room abbreviations such as TTYL (talk to you later), it is unprofessional.
• Use the signature feature preferably with up to four lines but no more than six. Leave at least two lines between the body of your message and your signature, use proper punctuation, and capitalize formally. It is polite and convenient to include thank you with your signature.
• Use the quoting feature which includes all or part of your original message in the reply. This is particularly helpful for people who receive many emails. They may not remember what was in the original email, particularly if you have just answered "good idea" or "yes."
• When sending a message to a large list of individuals who don’t know each other, use BBC (blind carbon copy). The recipient will then only see his or her name and yours.

Mind Your Netiquette:
20 Tips to Enhance Your Electronic Image

"By all rights, email should be the most polite form of communication ever invented", said Samantha Miller, internet etiquette expert. As a communication tool it's inexpensive, convenient and instantaneous. It allows us to be responsive and accessible. You never have to worry about penmanship or stationary. With one click a message can be forwarded, printed or sent to hundreds of people worldwide.

However, like most technology, email is both a blessing and a curse. Sacrificing face to face conversation for expediency, email used recklessly has caused damage both personally and professionally and has started more internal conflict than any other form of communication. This is because the most significant difference between email and other forms of communication is its ability to evoke emotion and the likelihood that the recipient will misinterpret what is read, and respond inappropriately. The lack of privacy; the speed at which a message can be sent, circulated and printed; the similar appearance of all messages and the absence of visual cues are all factors which play a part.

The culture and environment in an office often suggests certain protocols that influence behavior. In an absence of these constraints, at home in their study or alone in a hotel room at night, people write things in emails they would never say to anyone in person. Feeling anonymous and unaccountable they send messages that get everyone’s attention in the short run, but can cause major problems in the long run. Remember, people are at the heart of this communication, not machines, and people are deeply influenced by their feelings and emotions.

Rules that govern telephone conversations or letter writing do not automatically apply to email. Because it is still a relatively new form of communication people are not aware of the new rules. The more experience you have with the medium and the more emails you receive, the more you will appreciate the need for electronic etiquette.

A company that uses the rules of netiquette in its communication distinguishes itself from its competition and makes a positive stride toward building employee and customer loyalty. Netiquette can make the difference between establishing or losing long term relationships which are vital in today’s competitive marketplace. When email is used effectively it can enhance the writer's professional image and maximize the effectiveness of his or her communication.

Improve your "Netiquette" and learn the rules of the road by practicing the following tips:

1. Decide whether email is the best way to communicate. Picking up the phone might be better and quicker.
2. Email is not appropriate for sending a formal invitation, letter of condolence, thank you for a gift, formal contract, performance review or reprimand.
3. Make certain your information is accurate. It is a permanent, inerasable document with your name on it which can be printed and forwarded.
4. Avoid the temptation to forward chain letters, conspiracy theories, get rich quick schemes or phony virus warnings. When in doubt, don’t send it.
5. Do not forward an email without permission of the original sender. For privacy reasons always delete the distribution list before sending or use BCC.
6. If an email is written when you are angry or emotional don’t send it. Sit on it at least overnight.
7. Write in complete sentences and check spelling and grammar.
8. Avoid marking messages urgent unless they really are.
9. If you are setting up an appointment, follow up with a phone call to confirm. Don't assume others have received your message just because you sent it.
10. If you are unable to check email regularly, leave an outgoing message.
11. Be wary of sending anything that could be viewed as sexist, sexual, racist or offensive to others.
12. Keep emails short; no longer than screen length or 25 lines. If they must be longer, create an elevator summary or table of contents. Keep content to a maximum of three subjects per email. Minimize or zip large files.
13. Avoid sarcasm, irony or humour. It is most often misunderstood.
14. Company email is just that. It belongs to the company and is not intended for private communication.
15. Avoid smileys or emoticons in a business environment. Use words not symbols to convey your thoughts.
16. Be specific about dates or times. Avoid saying "tomorrow" or "next Friday." You can't be certain when the email will be read. When you receive an important email let the sender know that it has been received and when they might expect a reply from you.
17. Avoid sending unsolicited attachments. Ask in advance if the person would like to receive the attachments.
18. When sending an attachment tell your recipient what the name of the file is, what program it is saved in, and the version of the program. (MS Word 2000 under the name protocolfile)
19. Do not use inflammatory quotes, sales hype, animated graphics or colour in your emails. They often don’t display properly on other computers.
20. Use a salutation and a closing and remember your real world manners. Please and thank you are always appropriate.

Ms. Manners says "Mind your netiquette!" The next time you reach for that send button, ask yourself "What is this message saying about me?"

Top Ten Office Net Peeves

In every office there is a legend of embarrassing or fatal email messages; the steamy rant that ended up on the boss’s desk or the dirty joke that went to the entire staff by mistake. Office netizens have a list of email net peeves:

1. Staff who use email for all their communication no matter how trivial. Often a call would have been quicker and more efficient.
2. The co-worker who forwards chain letters, phony virus warnings and urban legends.
3. Emails with attachments and no explanation other than "see attached".
4. Emails with no subject line or subject lines that haven’t been changed to match the message.
5. Emails with quotes from previous messages that are pages long.
6. The co-worker who is always selling something; her car, condo, girl guide cookies or requests for donations.
7. The manager who uses email to micro manage, criticize, reprimand or praise but never has face to face contact with her staff.
8. Messages with spelling mistakes, no punctuation, all lower case or all capitals.
9. The employee who cc’s her manager on everything.
10. The co-worker who sends animated happy ‘toons and corny friendship poems.