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Privacy went out with the telephone: Think
twice about what you write in an e-mail
By BOB WEINSTEIN, Special Sections Correspondent
Organizations are no longer threatening to monitor everyone on their payrolls; they're doing it. What better example than the resignation of the Justice Department's Kyle Sampson, part of the still unfolding saga over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Sampson was involved in choosing which U.S. attorneys would be fired in a shakeup last year. Eight federal prosecutors eventually lost their jobs. An endless e-mail exchange, which was part of some 3,000 pages of internal documents, reveals a divided Justice Department and a burgeoning political crisis. Sampson March 12, just as the e-mails he wrote were released publicly.
The uproar shows how e-mail can shatter reputations, relationships and careers. Mike Song, an expert on e-mail efficiency and etiquette and author of "The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your E-Mail Before It Manages You" (Berrett-Koehler) says "a simple productivity tool has turned into a political weapon."
What went wrong? Inappropriate communication and poor decision-making about what should be communicated and how was never considered before the White House e-mail mess went public. The players never considered that this easy-to-use and readily accessible high-tech communication tool could wreak untold damage.
The scandal points out that it may be one of the worst ways to communicate, especially if sensitive or classified information is involved.
There is an important e-mail commandment that ought not to be forgotten, and it's "think twice about the contents of your e-mails," advises Dan Smith, managing partner at search firm PrincetonOne Search in Tampa. "If you're not careful, what you thought was a harmless note could come back to haunt you."
Most people are under the impression that e-mails are private. "But they're just the opposite," Smith cautions. "They're company property and can be retrieved and examined."
There doesn't even have to be a reason for monitoring e-mail, Song says. "Your organization has the right to review all communication flowing through the corporate e-mail system," he says. "Most organizations back up all of the e-mails in your inbox, drafts, sent and deleted folders - they can access this info via sophisticated search tools."
Don't mistakenly think that deleting e-mail erases it permanently. There are many programs that can easily access deleted messages on a hard drive.
Song lists the following three things that should never be included in an e-mail:
1. Misinformation. Sending an e-mail containing rumors, innuendo and exaggeration can make you appear uninformed or worse - manipulative. Get your facts straight and resist the urge to deviate from the business purpose of your e-mail. In particular, don't try to score points at the expense of an opponent and the truth.
2. Intense emotion. If you're angry, bitter, sarcastic or in the mood to gloat - step away from the computer! Follow the 24-hour rule and give yourself at least a day to calm down and regain your professional perspective. More often than not, you'll draft a more reserved message that won't trigger an e-mail argument, scandal or lawsuit.
3. Gray area content. Most of us know the difference between messages that can get us fired and messages that are 100 percent OK. If your e-mail even comes close to a legal, professional or judgmental gray area, consider a candid, face-to-face discussion with a colleague.
"Angry e-mails are a perfect storm for damaging your reputation," Song cautions. "They can create a lasting image of you in an unstable state of mind and motivate the recipient to strike back."
While e-mail can accelerate the communication process, the downside is that it is one-way, dispassionate communication with no feedback, Smith says. "When e-mail is used all the time, the communication process is dehumanized," he says.
A scary reality is that innocent e-mails can become incriminating legal evidence, Song warns. "Most of the e-mails that have triggered major scandals have not been blatantly evil," he says. "Instead, they contain the musings, thoughts and jokes of a person who has made the mistake of assuming that no one was ever going to review their messages."
If your gut cautions you against using e-mail, switch to one-on-one live conversations for controversial communications, Song advises.
If one-on-one communication isn't possible, Smith advises using the telephone, an often-neglected communication vehicle in this high-tech age.
While e-mail is great for transmitting straightforward information, facts and data, for example, it's to be avoided if you're angry and want to get something off your chest.
Solution? If you can't meet with the person, then the telephone is your best recourse for two important reasons, Smith says. "It's a chance to air your feelings, and also get feedback at the same time," he says. "But before you pick up the phone, jot down your thoughts and read them over. There's a good chance you'll edit what you wrote and soften the language. Then, make your call."
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Copyright © 2010 PrincetonOne
Privacy went out with the telephone: Think
twice about what you write in an e-mail
May 31, 2007
By BOB WEINSTEIN, Special Sections Correspondent
Organizations are no longer threatening to monitor everyone on their payrolls; they're doing it. What better example than the resignation of the Justice Department's Kyle Sampson, part of the still unfolding saga over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys. Sampson was involved in choosing which U.S. attorneys would be fired in a shakeup last year. Eight federal prosecutors eventually lost their jobs. An endless e-mail exchange, which was part of some 3,000 pages of internal documents, reveals a divided Justice Department and a burgeoning political crisis. Sampson March 12, just as the e-mails he wrote were released publicly.
The uproar shows how e-mail can shatter reputations, relationships and careers. Mike Song, an expert on e-mail efficiency and etiquette and author of "The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your E-Mail Before It Manages You" (Berrett-Koehler) says "a simple productivity tool has turned into a political weapon."
What went wrong? Inappropriate communication and poor decision-making about what should be communicated and how was never considered before the White House e-mail mess went public. The players never considered that this easy-to-use and readily accessible high-tech communication tool could wreak untold damage.
The scandal points out that it may be one of the worst ways to communicate, especially if sensitive or classified information is involved.
There is an important e-mail commandment that ought not to be forgotten, and it's "think twice about the contents of your e-mails," advises Dan Smith, managing partner at search firm PrincetonOne Search in Tampa. "If you're not careful, what you thought was a harmless note could come back to haunt you."
Most people are under the impression that e-mails are private. "But they're just the opposite," Smith cautions. "They're company property and can be retrieved and examined."
There doesn't even have to be a reason for monitoring e-mail, Song says. "Your organization has the right to review all communication flowing through the corporate e-mail system," he says. "Most organizations back up all of the e-mails in your inbox, drafts, sent and deleted folders - they can access this info via sophisticated search tools."
Don't mistakenly think that deleting e-mail erases it permanently. There are many programs that can easily access deleted messages on a hard drive.
Song lists the following three things that should never be included in an e-mail:
1. Misinformation. Sending an e-mail containing rumors, innuendo and exaggeration can make you appear uninformed or worse - manipulative. Get your facts straight and resist the urge to deviate from the business purpose of your e-mail. In particular, don't try to score points at the expense of an opponent and the truth.
2. Intense emotion. If you're angry, bitter, sarcastic or in the mood to gloat - step away from the computer! Follow the 24-hour rule and give yourself at least a day to calm down and regain your professional perspective. More often than not, you'll draft a more reserved message that won't trigger an e-mail argument, scandal or lawsuit.
3. Gray area content. Most of us know the difference between messages that can get us fired and messages that are 100 percent OK. If your e-mail even comes close to a legal, professional or judgmental gray area, consider a candid, face-to-face discussion with a colleague.
"Angry e-mails are a perfect storm for damaging your reputation," Song cautions. "They can create a lasting image of you in an unstable state of mind and motivate the recipient to strike back."
While e-mail can accelerate the communication process, the downside is that it is one-way, dispassionate communication with no feedback, Smith says. "When e-mail is used all the time, the communication process is dehumanized," he says.
A scary reality is that innocent e-mails can become incriminating legal evidence, Song warns. "Most of the e-mails that have triggered major scandals have not been blatantly evil," he says. "Instead, they contain the musings, thoughts and jokes of a person who has made the mistake of assuming that no one was ever going to review their messages."
If your gut cautions you against using e-mail, switch to one-on-one live conversations for controversial communications, Song advises.
If one-on-one communication isn't possible, Smith advises using the telephone, an often-neglected communication vehicle in this high-tech age.
While e-mail is great for transmitting straightforward information, facts and data, for example, it's to be avoided if you're angry and want to get something off your chest.
Solution? If you can't meet with the person, then the telephone is your best recourse for two important reasons, Smith says. "It's a chance to air your feelings, and also get feedback at the same time," he says. "But before you pick up the phone, jot down your thoughts and read them over. There's a good chance you'll edit what you wrote and soften the language. Then, make your call."
Executive Search | Recruitment Process Outsourcing | Contract Staffing | College Recruiting | Site Map
This site is optimized for 1024x768 resolution and Internet Explorer.
Copyright © 2010 PrincetonOne