Five Rude Emails People Send Without Realising It

Even the friendliest and most polite people can come across as jerks in an email. It's a fine art to write an email that sounds just like we do in person.

We modify our tone, facial expression, gestures, and posture during a discussion to fit the mood of what we're saying. We do this because how we say things has a more significant impact on people than what we really say.

Communication is stripped bare through email. It's quick, yet it twists simple conversations into a jumble of misinterpretations. People look at each word we type as a sign of tone and mood because we don't have facial expressions or body language to guide our message.

The majority of email blunders are entirely avoidable. The following list delves deeper into these subtle errors and mishaps.

 

1. The compulsion to CC And Reply To Everyone

One of the most inconvenient aspects of email is constantly CCing people. I'd say it's the most irritating, but this award goes to the overuse of "reply all." Do we genuinely believe that if someone sends an email to many other people, including us, we need to send another email saying "thank you" to each recipient? They don't, and when we do, we're driving them up a wall.

Treating our email as if it were an in-person meeting is the key to knowing when to CC someone. The question then becomes, "Would having this person attend the meeting be essential or helpful?" If the response is no, don't bother sending them an email. Just don't respond to everyone.

When we join the fray, we annoy everyone, even if someone else in the thread replies all. If we have something to say, we should communicate it to the original sender directly (and privately) and let them decide whether or not we should inform the group.

 

2. The far-too-short

Email conflict is frequently caused by a mismatch between the effort put forth in the initial email and the effort to answer that email.

Someone expects us to attentively answer when they create a comprehensive paragraph describing critical topics. It's not enough to respond with "Got it" or "Noted." Brief responses come across to the receiver as disinterested and even snarky if the receiver is unaware of our goal and tone. It is terrible because the sender rarely intends for this to happen.

Sharing our intent in a concise response is the best approach to prevent being misunderstood. "I'm a little busy but should be able to read it later this week," for example, comes across much better than "Got it," which many people may misinterpret as disinterest.

Sending a proper email is an art that many people fail to notice.

3. The subject line "URGENT"

"URGENT" or "ASAP" subject lines indicate utter contempt for the receiver. We should pick up the phone and call the person if our email is that important. Even if an email is truly urgent, identifying it as such in the subject line is superfluous and sends out a strong, negative message.

There are two ways to avoid subject lines that say "URGENT":

1. if we can handle the issue more effectively in a format other than email, we should do so.

2. if this isn't the case, the problem is our ability to develop a compelling subject line. People check their email regularly, so as long as our subject line grabs their attention, we're good to go.

Rather than categorising an email as urgent, consider why it is urgent. Making a new subject line is the solution to this inquiry. Make the subject line "Client Needs Response Today" if a client needs an answer right away. It keeps the sense of urgency without seeming obnoxious or needy.

 

4. The Negative Nancy

It takes a lot of effort to send emails telling individuals what they're doing wrong and shouldn't be doing. Even if we're attempting to provide constructive criticism, we should avoid negativity at all costs in our emails.

People read into the implications of words and build a tone in their heads as they go because they can't hear our tone directly. In the form of an email, negatives become much more harmful.

We should turn negative words like "don't," "can't," "won't," and "couldn't" into positive ones whenever we can—the entire tone of the communication changes as a result of this adjustment. Instead of stating, "You won't be able to complete reports like this in the future," we should say, "Please..." the next time we finish a report.

We should not send unfavourable feedback by email if we need to give unfavourable feedback. Simply pick up the phone or take a short walk down the hall.

 

5. The robot

It's tempting to think of email as a tool to get things done quickly, but taking it too far might make us appear inhuman. One wouldn't walk into someone's office and present them a report without acknowledging their presence in some way. Jumping right into the meat of the matter may appear to be the most efficient approach, yet it produces a lasting unfavourable impression.

It's easy to fix this one: Simply take a moment to greet the individual to whom we're writing. We don't have to inquire about our recipient's weekend. It only requires a simple acknowledgement of the individual as a human being. Compared to simply sending assignments, this maintains a considerably more courteous tone.

The most challenging aspect of emailing is ensuring that our message is received as we intended. To pull this off, we must be socially savvy. To put it another way, before we push "send," be open to examine how things appear to the recipient.

 

Source: The Ladders