Email is quick, easy and low-cost. It is less direct than a phone call, more reliable than a facsimile. Time zones and locations are no barrier for sender or receiver.
But email is misunderstood — and misused. Let’s puncture three myths:
Email is temporary. Since we delete most of the email we receive, that leads us to think that email is fleeting. The truth is, any email you send or receive can be preserved forever. Even an email that is deleted by the recipient can live on in servers that you and your recipient do not control.
Email is personal and private. Most accounts are protected by a personal password. But that does not mean that only you can gain access to your accounts. If your account is provided by your employer, your email is company property. Any message sent or received may be reviewed at any time by the company, without notice. Any message you create can be used against you in a legal proceeding. In a 2006 study led by the American Management Association, 24 percent of companies polled had e-mail subpoenaed by courts and 15 percent had faced lawsuits based on employee e-mails.
Email is a good place to vent. Before you tap out that scathing note, consider the difference between intended audience and actual audience. You may be sending your message to only one person, but that person could copy the world. The next time you have a pointed message to deliver, you may want to speak, not write.
When you use email for business, observe the overnight rule. Let any document that could be misread cool until the next day. Re-read it, and strike any content that could put you at risk.
Next up: the five keys to a powerful email message