Article - Netiquette

‘You have mail!’
Nothing unusual in this day and age – but how do you respond?!

Have we lost the art of conversation? Once upon a time we used to talk to each other face to face, but now our conversations take a different format – that of email. Some simple questions to think about. Are you a slave to email? Do you work for email or does you email work for you? Another article in its own right but worth thinking about. So what about the etiquette and rules governing the use of email? In simple terms the following should be considered.

Policy

Your employer is likely to have a policy that states guidelines concerning the use of email and the consequences of any misuse / abuse. It is generally accepted that employees will use their work email for personal use – but some employers do not allow this. Receipt of pornographic email, intentionally or unintentionally, does not necessarily result in dismissal but forward that email internally or externally and you are likely to find yourself in big trouble.

Content & what it looks like

Some simple ‘rules’ around the composition of email can make life easier for all concerned. Be clear, concise and to the point, avoiding paragraphs of unnecessary information. Why say it in 100 words when 10 will do? Use a font and size that is upto date and easy to read (Arial, Calibri) – gone are the days of Times New Roman. Consider your colour blind male colleagues and avoid using colours that are difficult to see on the screen – yellow, green, pink etc. If you need to emphasise a word then it is probably best to put it in bold. A wallpaper background can look great but probably best left on your own personal email at home and is likely to fly against the realms of corporate guidelines, if there are any. Layout should be simple, no embedded tables, and an email signature needs to be given - name, contact details, address. Some people may prefer to call you with a response rather than email so immediate access to a telephone number is welcome.

Language

Remember that an email conversation does not easily convey the context in which a message is being sent – the recipient cannot hear your voice or see your facial expressions. Think about what you are saying and how you are saying it. Would you be happy to receive it? If not then make the appropriate changes. Do not swear, even in jest. People have very different levels of tolerance to swearing and whilst for some it may be acceptable for others it will not be. For example, the email sent from one colleague to another telling the recipient that the service being delivered was b****y c**p and their attitude needed to change, did not go down well. It resulted in a grievance being made for use of inappropriate language. Capital letters generally mean you are SHOUTING so don’t use them!

CC/BCC/Reply/Reply all

Use CC when someone needs to be kept informed but you do not expect a reply from them. Use BCC when sending a global email and to specific distribution lists. Confidentiality of your recipients details when sending out a newsletter for example is important and indeed some people get annoyed that their details are open to all to see. Before selecting reply or reply all check who the mail has been originally sent to and decide who you want to receive your response. There is nothing worse than detailing financial information, for example, and then hitting reply all and send, then realising some people should not be privy to it.

Legally binding

An email is a legally binding document so it is imperative that due care and attention is given to what is being typed, that it is factually correct and basically can’t get you in to hot water at a later date – you are in effect writing a letter. Absolute deletion of an email is very difficult if not impossible and there are cases where it can come back and bite you where it hurts. For instance, the employee who was very unhappy in their role drafted an email to the boss saying what a rubbish company it was and what they could do with the job. Better sense prevailed and the draft was deleted or so they thought. When later asked to leave the company for unsubstantiated reasons, the individual tried to sue the company but the email came back to haunt them having been found in bowels of the IT system!

Heat of the moment response?

It’s simple really. Don’t send it. Preferably get up and move away from the temptation to type what you think. Say it quietly under your breath a few times, calm down and then forget about it! Typing it and sending it will only cause grief.

So before you hit Send check the following

Content – does it make sense
Concise & to the point
Don’t swear
Don’t SHOUT
Remember to attach documents
Check who you are sending it to – right person, right address
Check for spelling mistakes
Where is your recipient? In the same office or sitting opposite you? If so, get up, go and say hello, have a real conversation and feel good about some proper interaction!