Easy to Accuse and Assume in E-mail

E-mail makes it so much easier to be bold with accusations or assumptions. I receive several e-mails every day containing comments or claims that I know the very same folks would not say to my face. Being behind these screens makes it so much easier to type what may not be true or nice because [...]

Read Before You Write

As a culture we’ve become lazy. Too many are of the opinion that their time is more important than others so they don’t take the time, make the time, to read an e-mail or a Web site in it’s entirety. This happens with Web sites and the information provided as well. Assuming a site [...]

Jumping to Conclusions in E-mail…

Have you ever heard the saying “Thou Protest Too Much?” What that saying implies is that by protesting too much about something, you are in fact showing your true colors about the topic that you are so emotional about. Same goes for e-mail. When you jump to conclusions or protest too much, you are [...]

No Sign-Off? No Big Deal?

Your sign-off gives you the opportunity to wrap-up the tone and intent of your e-mail so that your message is clear and to ensure you leave a positive impression. Not including a closing can be perceived as abrupt or impersonal when you don’t sign you name. Some have actually stated to me “What’s the big [...]

E-mail Assumptions = Misunderstandings

I see it every day… assumptions flying all over the place! When it comes to your e-mail activities, you can not, should not, must not assume. Assuming does no good and in the long run causes great harm. Assumptions made about what the other side is thinking. Did they state that is [...]

Stop, Reread and Think Before You Send

Twice this morning I had onliners send accusatory e-mails because they did not take the time to read my previous correspondence. In both cases, my e-mails were very clear. The accusations were born because the other side obviously did not take the time to read my e-mail (or previous e-mails on the same topic) [...]

When is a Joke Not a Joke?

A site visitor writes: I hit “reply” to an email in which I should have “forwarded” to another individual. The reply wasn’t negative in connotation but it did refer to the sender in a joking manner (to me, anyway) as a “damn Yankee”. I realized immediately that I did not hit “forward” as intended [...]

E-mail & Jumping to Conclusions

Before you hit that Reply button and start typing a cryptic emotional response that you may later regret, sit back and carefully reread the e-mail you are responding to making sure to take in its intent in it’s entirety.  If you are very upset; wait until the next morning before considering even if you should [...]

What They Meant Was What?

This week I’ve had more than a handful of folks e-mail me with dilemmas that had to do with interpreting what someone “meant” in an e-mail they received. When the verbiage they were upset about was provided to me, in most cases I didn’t have the same take or reaction. In regard to one particular [...]