Several times each day I get e-mails asking what a sender meant by having only certain text in their e-mail purposely changed to red. How mad are they? Why use red? How should I react?
Red is an aggressive color. The term “seeing red” means that someone is mad or so upset that they are seeing red. Not too much is different online when it comes to communicating with the written word.
If in on business letterhead you changed only certain words or sentences to red, what would that mean? It would mean you are making a strong point! It would mean you are adding a robust emphasis to those particular terms or sentences. Same goes for e-mail.
And, when you use red, you leave the level of emphasis up to the person on the other side to decide the level of emphasis you may have meant. Many times causing the sender to e-mail me stating they didn’t mean what they typed in red to be take as strongly as the other side interpreted.
Use our wonderful vocabulary to communicate what you mean, your anger, your passion or your emphasis. Turning selected text into red is the easy way out and risky at best.
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Though I have known my ‘new’ boss for 3 years and have rec’d many emails from her before, none of them have been in all red type.
One month ago I became a direct report to her and now her emails are all red , not blue or black as previously sent emails.
So what is protocol for an all red email… you wrote above just sections of emails… and I am talking about all words in red…
To me it is just real offensive and I am being talked down to. She has been employed for 3 maybe 4 yrs. and I have been for 20.
Seems like a distinct power trip of an intimidator and dictator to me.
Your thoughts?
Hey, Lanse:
Thanks for stopping by! Did you ask her why she does this? It could be an innocent way to make her e-mails stand out from the rest without realizing the perception the color red portrays. The fact is Red Means Red!.
When it comes to business e-mail, one should concentrate on the choosing the correct verbiage to relay the intent and tone they desire. Resorting to formatting or colored text in no way enhances the message, in most cases it causes confusion and unnecessary misunderstanding as to the Sender’s intent. Even if she is doing it to be different or because she thinks it is pretty, those are not valid reasons to justify typing entire business e-mails in all red type.
Your concerns are common and I get e-mails every week asking the same question. Why the red? Would she type in all red on business letterhead? Probably not. So when it comes to your business e-mails, say no to red! HTH!
My boss sends e-mails out even if they are not for him someone else has CC him on a e-mail from aother department…he adds his bit in red
then sends this out to our department…I get a lot of e-mails I only reply to the ones that relate to my job and never in red…he said that we must keep all comunications going to all departments I don’t have the time….I have asked him please only send me the e-mails that relate to my job so lets see…I will keep you updated…Thanks….
Hey, Lynn:
Sending e-mails to everyone regardless of it is applies to them or not is really not efficient and waste of time in expecting recipients to read e-mails that are not directly related to their job. And, using red is an aggressive color and should be avoided because the level of emphasis is up left up to the recipient to perceive. Risky at best.
You seem to want to try and do the right thing — that in of itself is an noble effort that some don’t bother to make!