Associate Level Material

Appendix D E-mail Etiquette

Read the following e-mails. For each e-mail: Describe any content and formatting errors found. Determine if the content is appropriate for a workplace setting. If it is, explain why. If not, identify the errors made and rewrite the e-mail, to be appropriate. E-mail One To: Tom Subject line: Talent Reallocation Tom, This e-mail is in reference to the two employees who are going to be terminated Friday. We have determined that they are Nicole Stone and Lorenzo Torres. As we discussed yesterday, their performances are not on par with those of other employees in the accounting department; interventions with these employees have not been successful in helping them improve their performance. Lets plan to meet with them individually in the conference room between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Thanks, Andrea Responses to questions 1 and 2. The topic line of this E-Mail is incorrect because it discusses talent reallocation as a singular, and the E-Mail discuses two people that will be reallocated. Assuming Tom and Andrea are managers this E-Mail appears to sound good. The E-Mail mentions the names of the employees to be reallocated, but other than mentioning the accounting department as a hole it does not specify anyone specifically that Nicole and Lorinzo are compared to in their performance. Rewrite e-mail if necessary E-mail One To: Subject line:

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E-mail Two To: Manager Subject line: doc u wanted Dear Manager, Attached to this e-mail is the doc you wanted with the info on that lake project. I hope everything in it is str8 and the way U want it!!!! BTW, did you see Last Comic Standing last night? I was totally ROFL at the bald dude!! :-} B Cool, Employee X Responses to questions 1 and 2

Assuming this E-Mail is addressed to a manager it would be fine, but if addressed to someone else using a name in the (to) line is better. This E-Mail should also have a space after the Dear manager introduction. Slang is not appropriate in business writings. The second paragraph should also be taken out of the E-Mail because it has personal information. Putting personal information in E-Mails during work is not appropriate.

Rewrite e-mail if necessary E-mail Two To: Manager Subject line: Information requested Dear Manager, I have attached the documents requested by you on the lake project. I have looked at them myself to make sure they are right. If you see a problem with the documents please contact me so I can look into the problem. Thank you XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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E-mail Three To: Cubicle Neighbor Subject line: COURTESY Dear Cubicle Neighbor, I really do not appreciate it when you talk loudly on the phone. It is hard for me to think straight and get my work done. YOU ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYONE ELSE AROUND HERE!!!!! You should be more considerate of the fact that we are in an open workspace. THANKS for what I assume will be an improvement that is NEEDED. Your neighbor Responses to questions 1 and 2 Using all caps when composing an E-Mail shows signs of poor etiquette. When using capitals in every word in a sentence represents a person yelling at someone else. Using exclamation marks such as these represents a letter wrote in anger. This E-Mail should have been written with more dignity and respect so as not to offend someone and create friction in the workplace. This E-Mail should have had a space after the (Dear Cubical Neighbor). This E-Mail is not suitable for the working environment, because the writing style is in appropriate in business E-Mails. The writher should have taken more time when writing the letter and found another way to write it without making it sound threatening. Rewrite e-mail if necessary E-mail Three To: Office Neighbor Subject line: Excessive noise Dear Cubical Neighbor, Lately I have noticed you have become a little overly excited when talking to your customers on the phone. If this helps you perform your job better and increases your sale more power to you, but lately you have been raising your voice a little too much and it has started affecting my work by interfering with my concentration when I am talking to my customers. With that said I respectfully request that you lower your voice a little when talking to your customers so it does not distract me or others when we are talking to our customers. Your cooperation is appreciated with this small problem. Your Neighbor

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E-mail Four To: All company employees Subject line: URGENTYour reply needed TODAY Employees, About 25% of you have not let me know whether or not you plan to attend the company cookout Saturday. We have to provide the caterer with a final number TODAY, so I need those of you who have not let me know to e-mail me ASAP and tell me if you are coming and how many family members you are bringing. This is urgent, so please dont delay in responding. Thanks, Carol Director Responses to questions 1 and 2 This E-Mail appears to look and sound excellent except for not having an extra space after (Employees). It should also have the date of the cookout and the date the information is needed back. One other problem I have seen is capitalizing the word director is not required. This E-Mail sound good for business writing even though it does have one word capitalized. I believe this is done simply to express the urgency of the E-Mail. Other than the small mistakes this E-Mail does not need to be re written. Rewrite e-mail if necessary E-mail Four To: Subject line:

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