At some time, it happens to everyone. You hit 'reply all.' I know this to be true because today it happened to my mother.
Known for her acidic sense of humor and sharp tongue (at least that's how's she's known within the family), I can only imagine the social carnage resulting from her error.
Let me share a tip for anyone who wants to avoid shooting themselves in the foot via email: Set up your email with a 10 minute delay. If you've got an urgent email to send, just manually hit send/receive so it leaves your outbox immediately. But you will -- as I have -- save yourself grief and regret with this simple 10 minute rule.
Known for her acidic sense of humor and sharp tongue (at least that's how's she's known within the family), I can only imagine the social carnage resulting from her error.
Let me share a tip for anyone who wants to avoid shooting themselves in the foot via email: Set up your email with a 10 minute delay. If you've got an urgent email to send, just manually hit send/receive so it leaves your outbox immediately. But you will -- as I have -- save yourself grief and regret with this simple 10 minute rule.
And since it won't save you if you accidentally hit 'reply all,' learn to check the To field before hitting send--particularly if you've written something you wouldn't want widely circulated. (And if it's a business communication that's particularly sensitive, mark it Confidential too.)
But another benefit of the 10 minute delay is that you'll often remember a point you forgot to make so you now have time to go back and add it in. In today's world of instant communication, building in a little time for reflection is a best practice.
But another benefit of the 10 minute delay is that you'll often remember a point you forgot to make so you now have time to go back and add it in. In today's world of instant communication, building in a little time for reflection is a best practice.
1 comment:
I couldn't agree more! I am a dedicated user of the 10 minute rule. I also deliberately leave the To field blank, even if I hit reply and the address is already in there - I delete it - just so I am forced to read through my e-mail one last time and consciously select who I send it to.
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