It’s easy to whip off an e-mail in the heat of emotion. It’s also “safe” to make assumptions and to easily type accusations that are simply not true when hiding behind these screens.
Many times this happens when one side or the other misinterprets the other side’s intent or tone. Sometimes, as in a recent case that I personally was involved in, it is due to one party taking the word of another without even verifying first with the person they are making the accusations about. I thought I would share my situation with you so that you can possibly avoid what has caused me to lose a long-time customer and, I thought, a friend.
In their frustration over me once again pointing out the reality of what was required to reach their stated goals with one of their new office helpers, I was sent an accusatory, unprofessional and insulting e-mail. Instead of replying in kind, which I would never do, I picked up the phone to discuss the issue professionally and with reason. My call was ignored.
Did they eventually pick up the phone to return my call and discuss the situation? Nope.
What a shame and very sad. A long term relationship has ended on a very sour note. All of which could have been avoided if this client would have simply picked up the phone or not ignored my call to discuss and verify if what they were assuming (or being told by a third party) was true.
So before you send off that e-mail filled with demands and assumptions, take the time, make the time and have the intestinal fortitude to pick up the phone. A valuable partnership may very well be lost based on this one simple decision to e-mail instead of call. By picking up the phone you have the opportunity to discover that what you assumed was just that — an assumption. Relationship saved.
Has this happened to you? How did you handle it — what did you do?
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Recently I have been working with several team members on a very sensentive case. The team for the most part has been in agreement on how to proceed with a client that we serve in the health care field. However, it was recently reported to me by our Manager that the family was upset because they received the emails that the team has been discussing concerning this particular client. Apparently one of the team members provided the family with the emails. The family indicated who the person was to the manager.
Question: Should this person be removed from the team? And professionally is this unethical?
Hey, Billy:
Time for you to get an e-mail policy in place that states how internal e-mails are to be handled including confidentiality issues! Here is an article you might find helpful:
Why Your Business Needs an e-mail Policy
As far as the team member’s removal or if their behavior was professional or not, goes to their intent and motives in sharing internal e-mails. It could be this person thought they were simply keeping the family in the loop and did not intend to cause harm.
Without an e-mail policy to keep everyone on the same page and know what is expected of them, we leave these situations up to each individual’s discretion — which can be risky at best!