E-mail and other electronic messaging have become an indispensable part of our existence. In addition to the advantages, email traffic, text messages, WhatsApp and Facebook also have disadvantages. Because it is often much wiser to have a normal conversation with someone than to engage in a pointless discussion via the internet. Not only because of the time savings, but also because awkwardly worded or misunderstood messages can destroy many things permanently.
Emailing destroys more than you would like
Everyone will agree that the phenomenon of e-mail has brought us a large number of advantages. But there are indeed a number of unwritten rules that you must adhere to. Because otherwise the electronic correspondence can turn against you.
Confidential or sensitive information
When it comes to confidential or sensitive information, we should always ask ourselves whether we ever want to be confronted with the fact that we are the sender of that information. So if we don’t want to get into an argument with Piet because we say something unkind about him in an email to Jan, we’d better not write that email. Even if Jan can handle a secret well, a copy can be left lying around out of carelessness. Or worse, the email could be forwarded in error.
No discussions and conflicts via email
Resolving discussions or conflicts via electronic messages is often extremely annoying and time-consuming. One or at most twice yes/no yes is allowed, but then immediately stop the email and pick up the phone or visit the person. Discussions via email rarely resolve anything satisfactorily. Moreover, you shouldn’t think about the fact that the other person is going to forward a copy of your meter-long ,discussion, to someone.
You don’t brainstorm via email
It is also very rarely possible to converse with each other by email, etc. To come up with a creative solution together, you have to see and sense each other. One word often leads to another and that is impossible via email. You can of course start the discussion by giving some suggestions by email, which the other person can think about before you meet in person.
Don’t write things you don’t dare say personally
Don’t write things to someone that you wouldn’t dare say to his or her face. Someone else quickly realizes that you dare to confront it via email, but not in person in private. You might be wrongly labeled as a bit of a coward. If you do send an annoying message by email, call immediately after sending to explain it.
Be careful when forwarding, otherwise there will be a fight
It will not be the first time that you forward a received message to someone else, but later you are shocked to discover that somewhere at the bottom there was something confidential that the next person absolutely should not know. Therefore, always open a new message by default, for example, if you send a message to someone outside your own company, then you do not run that risk.
Paper often has more impact
An email on a screen is much more difficult to read than a real A-four piece of paper on your desk. Everyone knows that on real paper you see typos of your own that you had not noticed on the screen. So if you really have an important message that you want the recipient to take to heart (and not be able to delete quickly), write a letter. If necessary, send the letter by email first and let us know that the original will follow by post.
I seem crazy for emailing
If you work a lot with a calculator, you unknowingly do the simplest sums that you can actually easily memorize. It has become automatic to reach for that calculator. The same applies to email. If we start asking questions by email to someone we like, we should seriously think about it ourselves.
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