Hello Readers and Twitter Followers!
It’s been awhile since my last blog posting so I apologize. Today I am writing about something that is really buggin’ me. First, a little background. There is a generation of young professionals in the workforce that has only ever communicated electronically. I started business communications on a typewriter – can you imagine a time when there was no spell check, delete, and backspacing to correct a typo only erased a few letters? How about White Out and correction tape! For those of you who do not know what a typewriter looks like, I have inserted a picture.
In those days the most common form of written internal, and sometimes external, communications was a memo. The memo (short for memorandum) varied some but generally had a pretty standard format:
MEMO (document title)Your address
TO:
FROM:
RE: (Regarding or subject)
DATE:
Introduction
Text – blah, blah, blah
ATTACHMENTS
CC: (Stands for carbon copy – left over from the ancient use of carbon paper used for duplicating letters and documents) – names, and professional affiliations on external memos
Does this look familiar? Is should all the same components are in an email format but switched around a little. So email has the same components but not used with the same formal etiquette. For the benefit of those who send emails but have never sent memos, here are some tips, some of which can also be found in previous blogs.
ADDRESS: Regarding your address, when sending a business or professional email make sure to use a professional sounding email address, especially if you are applying for a job. Do not send a cover letter and resume from an email address like poledancer562@... unless that is the type of work you are looking for of course.
FROM: This is automatically transmitted as your email address.
TO: Now this is critical – emails are sent to the person or people from whom you expect a response, are issuing a directive, or need the information directly.
CC: People are cc’d for information only – to be kept in the loop. IF you are on the cc list as an email recipient then technically you should not feel compelled to respond, just file the information. If there is something egregious in the email that you cannot keep silent about , then respond ONLY to the sender and let that person figure out how to make corrections if necessary. This is not your email. In the olden days we could not just push “reply all” and throw in your 2 cents so don’t do it now unless totally appropriate.
BCC: I prefer not to use “blind carbon copy” unless instructed to do so. Plain and simple it is not good practice because it is sneaky, cahootish, and will more than likely bite you at some point. Make sure if you are using a bcc that you completely trust the person you are bcc’ing. BTW-this is my blog so I can make up words if I want to! Don’t bcc, just forward me the correspondence if you can’t list me on the cc line.
So back to what is buggin’ me. I received an email last week from a junior staffer in which I was the cc and everybody else, who was ever involved in the project , PLUS my supervisor were listed in the TO: line. The email was for me and started, “As I said before…” Ok – this is bad dog! First, the email should have gone to me with the current people involved in the project cc’d. My supervisor should not have been on the distribution list and you should not start an email with a reprimand unless you are the boss AND it is the 3rd or 4th time you’ve had to ask for something from a subordinate – even then I don’t scold anyone publically.
The person was making a good suggestion but presenting it badly, and actually, what he suggested was already done. When crafting emails, get into the shoes of the main recipient (s) and try to understand the impact of your words on them, and remember the words represent who you are professionally and personally. I got this email a week ago and I still have a bad taste in my mouth, and am certainly hesitant to include this person on future projects/communications. You will never make yourself look good by making someone else look bad – NEVER! So don’t do it.
Let me know what your communication issues and challenges are!
Miss Management



My other reader (if you tell others about this blog I will have more than 2 readers!) asked:
How do you suggest handling an issue among co-workers that has the chance (likelihood?) of getting sticky? Is using a carefully written email covering all your bases a good idea?
Without asking several other questions to get more information, here's what I think. An email to several people could make a potentially bad situation worse if it is mistimed. If you are the person in authority I recommend first meeting with each person, briefly, to get their perspective on the issue(s) and then aggregating the information, as if pieces of a puzzle, to form your email. This approach has a number of benefits, including: showing respect to each person and validating their perspectives; getting the most information possible and eliminating bias to help craft your directive – you’ll be surprised at what you didn’t know or what you assumed to be true that isn’t; and you will get more buy-in on your directive because everyone will have had influence in your decision. I know this will take more time than banging out an email telling staff how things are going to change but the positive effects will be long-term. Everyone needs to feel valuable and contributory, and to have their voice heard – it is human nature, and inexpensive. One caution – do not lead anyone to believe that you are siding with them – simply listen, ask questions for clarity, and thank them for meeting with you. I hope this is helpful and would love to hear back from you.
Signed,
Miss Management
Tell your friends and coworkers about Ask Miss Management and visit my web site at http://per4mance1.com.