Hot Pink and E Mails

When talking with a trainer from a government agency last week, she highlighted a unique workplace issue. She had been asked by someone in the organization about how to approach a subordinate who responded to their e mails with hot pink type. There was no workplace policy about how emails should look, so he didn't want to try and address the issue without some guideline to fall back on for support. The trainer indicated that they would be working to update e mail etiquette guidelines to include the use of inappropriate type in emails.

I am frequently amazed at how people continually ignore the words of Will Rogers-"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Nowhere is that more true than with email. Misspelled words, poor sentence structure or grammar and unusual icons or comments in a signature file leave a long lasting impression on the recipient-as they read it over and over and over again. E mails to personal friends are one thing-emails to co workers and your boss are yet another. You never know when they might surface-or to whom they may be sent.

The next time you get ready to send an email at work ask yourself, "If this e mail were sent to the highest ranking person in my organization, would I be happy to admit that I wrote it-or would I be embarrassed by my efforts. If it's the latter, take the extra 10 seconds and proof that email before you send it.