An email is a way of communication in between two more persons for exchange of information or thoughts. It is a soft communication platform where people interact about a subject, notify about an event or any other purpose. Emails are written in communicative languages so that the person(s) can understand the intent. The basic problem of emails is that the content might be misleading due to the absence of tone and emotions in the written format and the reader may misinterpret the actual meaning that the writer wants to express.
Features of rude emails
The features that depict that an email is a rude one are enlisted below.
- Abusive language or derogatory content used to disrespect the reader, which is clearly deductable, is a sign of a rude email. The foul language used in a rude way to show disrespect, harassment or threat is subjected to legal action.
- Use of upper case letters or capitals meaning that the writer is yelling at you is also a disrespectful way to communicate.
- Leaving the courtesies in the trash and not using them while writing is also a sign of a rude communicative email. The email without the hello or hi part seems like a demand or a command and signifies ignorance or dominance. If the mail is a part of an ongoing topic then the salutations and courtesies can be ignored which does not impart any kind of unprofessionalism.
- The content of the emails that says unkind words to you and tells anything with a rude referral way imparting personal digs is not a good piece of mail to be praised.
- Unnecessary use of exclamation marks and questions marks is often considered as a rude behavior in the ethical world of email writing unless you are communicating with your friends and want to express your heightened feelings. The degree of emphasis shown via the use of question and exclamation marks should be judged accordingly as per the situation.
- Copying the material from a bigger fish and sending it to you to infer that the work or something should be done by command with a bossy tone is also rude.
Sending rude emails
From the above list of indications of a rude email, you can understand the basic features of an email that might hurt the sentiment of the reader. It is a common mistake committed by almost all email writers. No matter how well mannered and sophisticated a writer is, sometimes due to circumstances he or she might indulge in the rude format unintentionally. While we converse with someone we have the gift of our expressions and tone of the voice that expresses half of the intent. Our gestures and facial expression decide the mood of the conversation but in case of the emails the void of expression can only be filled with choice of good words matching the intent.
In an email conversation, try to find the right tone as per the communication topic by fitting yourself in the reader’s shoe. This step helps a lot to understand the audience and hence writing an email is benefited likewise. Email is designed for easy interactions and saves a lot of precious time. But hurry and misinterpretation can turn the blessing into a messy conversation and unwanted friction. The mistakes should be identified and taken care of in order to compose a proper email which is correctly understood by the person on the other end.
5 types of rude emails
The list of 5 hidden mistakes that turns the situation in to messy one will help you to identify the problems which are making emails rude and unprofessional.
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Carbon Copy factor (CC)
When you send an email and CC someone they get to see the email as a part of the chain of the recipients. But Carbon Copying all the time is an annoying thing among the readers. Always adding the recipients for no reason in order to make them aware of the mail do not reflect good manners too. Sometimes it becomes very irritating for the readers to find their name attached with a mail unless it is very important.
On the other hand when a mail is send to a bunch of recipients to serve a communication purpose, then replying all the recipients unintentionally with ‘thanks’ or any other acknowledgement for the mail might seem very unprofessional. Getting another email in the same chain just for a gesture of confirmation is very irritating for the employees who are getting dozens of them in the work process.
The trick to avoid this irritating habit is to treat the emailing process as an in-person conversation. Think of the requirement of the mails and cook the conversation script where you will easily find that the simple acknowledging emails are not mandatory or required that triggers the annoyance in the busy readers. Sending a rude email wastes the reader’s time and the productivity of the team decreases. Break the habit of replying all in a mail chain and let everyone keep his or her peace of mind.
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Too short to understand
How do you feel when you are elaborating a fact to someone and after the completion he or she replies with a small nod or a just a posture? This behavior is very irritating. The same case stands for the email writing also. If the sender has taken a good effort to make you understand the facts with proper and detailed description then a short reply like ’thanks’, ‘noted’ or ‘got it’ is very irritating. The sender thinks that all the effort goes in vain due to the worthless reply. You do not have the power to express your feelings regarding the topic hence the small answers seem very rude and disrespectful although you have expressed it with proper feelings from your side. Your intention must reflect properly in your reply to make the sender get the message that you have acknowledged the mail and are obliged for the act. The apathetic answers are unintentional but the reader might get the wrong picture which is not healthy for the future purposes.
The best way to avoid such tension in the workplace is to communicate in a more humane manner. Writing “I got the message and I will be able to reply it properly the next day” is far better than writing “Got it”. It throws a better aspect of caring towards the sender and giving value to the email he has scribed spending time. The simple message becomes more acceptable when a little more time is invested to reply.
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The ASAP or URGENT tag
The subject of an email is intended to throw light on the intent of the comprehensive piece. It is short and to the point. But sometimes when you put the tag of urgency or haste then the entire email becomes a point of rude emphasis for the reader. The fact of urgency or emergency cannot be dealt with email as they are meant for leisure lookup. If the matter is that urgent it is better to communicate via phone. You can just give the person a call and solve the matter immediately rather waiting for his reply on the other side. The label of urgency in the subject line imparts a negative and rude tone towards the reader.
There are two ways to avoid the tension of ‘urgent’ tag in the subject. If the issue can be communicated in a relaxed mode and the intent of the email is to make the reader aware then remove the urgent tag line or ASAP format from the subject. Let him get the message and react likewise. But if the matter is that urgent then contact him via better medium for instant reaction and solve it. If the matter can only be communicated via mail then you must have that capability to prepare a strong subject line that will impart a good emphasis on the urgency of the matter without using the rude contents. In the workplace all employees check emails frequently so the chance of instant reply is always there. Let the reader understand the urgency and react accordingly. The subject line will do the work when set in the right tone. Catching their attention via good subject line is the right way to deal with the problem. Add lines that signify the time of the reply needed by the concerned persons and the reader will react likewise.
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The demeaning tone
The emails are meant for communication which is meant for development in a positive direction. The emails that are sent to tell employees or colleagues regarding their working procedures indicating the flaws all the time might set a rude tone. It is a way of criticism and as we all know that criticism can be positive and constructive. The emails that are intended to point the wrongs demean the enthusiasm of the employee. Once the confidence is down, the quality of work will also degrade. Negativity must be avoided in the emails to keep the workforce dedicated and boosted. On the other hand highlighting the mistakes and rectification is also important for a company’s future.
The same noise lies in the communication via email. You cannot show your expressions or tone in the intent hence it is quite obvious that criticizing emails can hit directly in the sentiment zone of the reader. Using negative words sets a bad tone in the email and can easily de-motivate the reader. If you intend to deliver negative views about someone’s performance then put it in such a way that it imparts a constructive criticizing tone. Avoid using words that add a negative impact and indulge using positive words that delivers the negative sense but in an encouraging way. Notifying a person’s bad results is not a cake walk. You should understand the sentiment behind the person’s degree of diligence. Set your tone in the mail in that respect and compose a good piece. If the situation is that bad then handling the process personally is best rather than sending a derogatory email. If email is the only option then write the piece in a conversational manner where the person can understand the real intention behind it and can absorb the criticism easily.
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The robotic approach
Using email as the medium of communication is very common in the workplace. But sometimes due to heavy workload and business we forget to add connotations. The absence of ‘please’, ‘thanks’ and ‘regards’ are very common in the emails which reflect a robotic approach towards the work. It is not a rule to have those words mandatory in the email but their presence reflects simple human emotions. The reader might consider you inhuman if you jump in and slap a file in their face and leave the room. The approach seems to be a part of an assembly line.
Sending inhuman mails is like walking into an office or cubicle and handing a report to be completed without even exchanging a single word of acknowledgement. It is quite rude. Add few seconds in your composition to incorporate words that reflect the human part of the sender. It is not that you have to ask how he is doing or enquire about the family members to prove yourself as a well-wisher but a simple hello and other acknowledging words bring a soft touch in the approach. Avoid strict words too which might make you nothing but a mechanical part in the team. Set the tone in a softer and human way so that the recipient can correlate to your intentions and act likewise.
In a nutshell
Life is all about simplifying the path. Every step is related to communication. A simple mistake or ignorance ruins the entire process. Writing an email in a sensitive way benefits the process of bonding and development in all aspects. Set your tone in the way you intend to tell the receiver and communicate accordingly avoiding misunderstandings. Let the reader perceive your message properly.
Jennifer Fernando says
Awesome post. Thank your for sharing such a nice article.