Business E-mail Requires Your Full Attention!

A while ago I was on KDKA News Radio in Pittsburgh discussing the forwarding of e-mails. This interview in particular was initiated due to a big hullabaloo out there about one of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaches who “inadvertently forwarded an e-mail containing pornographic material to the league’s ‘All General Managers’ e-mail distribution list. This e-mail was sent to him from Steelers personnel director and then he sent it, to “multiple high-level team employees and their secretaries’.”

Forwarded by the Personnel Director? Yikes! Sounded like the Steelers needed to get an e-mail policy in place and have a sit down with all their personnel — the director being the first — so everyone is aware of the guidelines and what is expected of them.

Needless to say this coach (and not the Personnel Director?) was in some major hot water — there were even calls for him to be fired. One of the first questions I was asked was how could he have prevented this? How can he see who is on the list he is sending to?

My first thought was it could have been prevented by not thinking it was “O.K.” to foward that type of stuff on business time in the first place. But I digress, if the head honcho in Personnel started this… I wonder if he jumped off a bridge would the coach have followed?

The bottom line he should have been paying attention to what buttons he was clicking. As far as who is on this list — that is setup in his e-mail software, he did have the ability to view the list, if he knew how or was so inclined.

As so often happens, we had someone on business time, using business resources sending questionable e-mails and worse yet, not paying attention to what they are doing.

Believe it or not this happens quite often. That’s why I shared this little story with you today. I get asked about such situations on a daily basis through this site or in interview. But always after the fact once the damage is done…

People in a hurry, clicking the Send button to only realize their commentary went not to the intended party but to someone else (or a group of someone elses). And it is usually someone they didn’t want to view that particular e-mail’s contents. In business that can be a deal breaker, career breaker — opportunity lost.

When it comes to forwarding e-mail, especially with a business e-mail address — just stop! Everyone just stop!! If you can’t take the time to write a personal comment as to why you are forwarding to the particular person you are forwarding to, especially when on business time and computers, don’t waste their time or yours.

Let’s all just agree that during business hours with business contacts, no more sending to lists of contacts who didn’t ask to be on your “forward to everyone you know” list.

If you are a habitual forwarder or know one, two or ten, stop now and link to this article on your Blog using the code below or forward using the icons below that so we can let the others with this clearly uncontrollable behavior know we have had enough.

Everyone should also read: Read my article 5 Rules of Forwarding E-mails. There is code after that article so you can link to it as well.

Then, slow down, take your time and for goodness sake pay attention to which buttons you click! Review the To: field, BCc: and Cc: fields to ensure you are sending to those you intend. Then, and only then, should you click Send.

If you don’t, I hope you love the taste of humble pie.