Top 10 Work Email Mistakes

While communication moves quicker than ever before, the presentation has digressed. We can send an email in a flash, post a blog up in less than a minute, and send text messages without even looking at our phones.

The convenience of it all has taken away from the quality. And when it comes to work communication, the inferiority of our messages can cost us respect or worst of all, sometimes our job.

Although they have been reviewed before, a 2009 refresher couldn’t hurt. Avoid these top 10 email mistakes at work...

1. Cursing or using inappropriate slang in email. Even if you think it makes you look cool, it doesn’t: Just unprofessional.

2. Forwarding chain letters. You really think your coworkers want the make a wish, send to 10 people you know, and the wish will come true email?

3. Leaving the subject line blank. Let people know what you want. That way they can decide to automatically delete it, or just a quick once-over.

4. Don’t be too lazy for spell check. It really only adds on a few seconds to your email routine.

5. Don’t forget common courtesy. Is it really so hard to put a salutation at the beginning and a thank you at the end? Outlook even automatically does your signature.

6. Using distracting punctuation, such as all CAPS, too many periods....or even a displeasing font size or color.

7. Double check who you the email is addressed to. Outlook can be wonderful, but it can also lead to disaster if you meant to send it to a group email and instead sent it to your entire department. Also, don’t reply-all unless it is necessary.

8. Faulty attachments are just annoying. Make sure that your attachment can be opened on most computers, and if it can’t, switch it into a program that can.

9. Keep a clear message. Could your recipient misunderstand the meaning of your email? A good rule of thumb is to read it three times and try to read it from their perspective.

10. If you are sending an email with an unpleasant message or even just something you are angry/passionate about, draft it and then send it the next morning. That way it will give you time to cool down, collect your thoughts, and ensure that you truly want to send that email.

Comments

[james]

Great post,I so much love this post. thank you sooooooooooooooooooooo much for uploading it.
Your blog is so informative ? keep up the good work!!!!

[Natalie Loopbaanadvies]

Bullet 7 is so true

Let's not abuse this button in our emails. There are information that other recipients of the mail do not need to know. Let's be sure that our replies concern all the people in our To and CC list.

<a href="http://hubpages.com/hub/Loopbaanadvies">Natalie Loopbaanadvies</a>

[malama]

This is good. I may also suggest to friends that they should avoid using the word RE in the subject line when composing a first mail.

[Shaun O]

I woudl love to add one. I have a commonly mispelled name. It drives me crazy when somebody requests something from me and spells my name wrong in the request eventhough my name is spelled correctly in the email address.

Please take the time to spell the recipients name correctly. If you do not know the spelling, use Mr., Mrs. or Ms.

[Christy]

1). Trying to be funny when you're not. You look like a goon.

2). Drinking while sending. Ever wake up the next day and glance at your "sent" box? You'll be mortified when someone responds to some of them with "Huh? Was I supposed to get this?"

[Alan Marble]

I was the chief of a sizable law enforcement agency for several years- one of my direct subordinates (who really wanted me out of the way) used to routinely cc all of his lieutenants and their sergeants on messages he sent me, often in response to direction that I had provided. I called him twice to tell him that we was accomplishing two things....eroding my trust in him, and undermining the authority and skills of those subordinates whom he was ccing. I told him to trust in their individual skills to pass on the provided direction to their field officers, relying on their individual skills as managers.

Didn't work- he just started bccing them all.....totally unaware that most of them bore more allegiance to me than to him. Pity for him-

I guess the moral of the story is....if you work in an agency with a defined chain of command, use it, support it, and make it work efficiently. When it does, it is a beautiful thing.

[Robert Hawk]

Thanks for the list it was very helpful. I can think of one more top issue that people should consider when using business e-mail.

Most business people should never make the mistake of placing anything in the business e-mail system which is not specifically oriented to business. All business e-mail is subject to discovery during a law suit. I noticed this during my las deposition with the company I work for. I wound up answering many questions which were related to off color comments employees were making concerning the business and the product. It becomes very difficlult to for the company to protect its self or its employees if the e-mail system is full of bogus information which plantiff attornies can use against the company or against an employee of the company. Keep e-mail focused on business subjects and keep the e-mail subject matter sterle.

[Rosemary Tseng]

OK, I confess. I used to use the "Reply All" button on occasion at work. What really got ot of hand was when we employees were planning a department pot luck or social event, and who signed up to bring what was sent around in our office e-mails over and over again because each new message was sent "Reply All". Our office manager spoke to us all about this in departmental meetings once a month for about 6 months, and it seemed nobody listened to her. What a colossal waste of time and effort! That list should have been circulated ONCE, and that's it!

[Andy]

If you are sending a link to a website or file within your network, always test the link before sending! This could save you additional email follow ups and make you look like you know what you are doing. I hate getting emails with busted links.

[VMS]

Leaving the subject line blank, a major faux pas. it is an avenue for important messages top be labeled as spam or sent to the trash.