1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to never send an email that could 4 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: not be forwarded, either to a specific person or to 5 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: a larger and less private group. Once something is written down, 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: it is out of your hands. Best to be aware 7 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: of that and plan for it. In classic literature, there's 8 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: a frequent plot point that a letter falls into the 9 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: wrong hands. You trust someone to deliver an important message, 10 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: and yet something goes awry along the way, accidents or treachery. 11 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: The plot heaves forward as we realize that somebody knows 12 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: something that he or she is not supposed to know. 13 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: The modern workplace is not a Victorian novel, and yet 14 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: there's plenty of drama that happens when an email is 15 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: read by the wrong person. This happens all the time, 16 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: really all the time. I was reminded of this while 17 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: reading Erika Dwan's recent book Digital Body Language, How to 18 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: Build trust and connection no matter the distance. Erica has 19 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: lots of great email tips, like using acronyms such as 20 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: n N t R. That's no need to respond, never 21 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: say things like thoughts instead ask should we do a 22 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: B or C all wise, but I particularly liked her 23 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: checklist before sending an email. One of the checklist items 24 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: is how comfortable would I be if this message is screenshotted, forwarded, 25 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: or otherwise shared. What can I do to change it? 26 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: Or should I save this for a phone call or 27 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: face to face meeting. It is really important to ask this. 28 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: We have probably all wound up seeing something we shouldn't. 29 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: It is usually not a malicious error. What happens is 30 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: that you send to people an email and they respond, 31 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: and then one person on the chain adds someone else, 32 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: and then the whole thing gets forwarded to another party 33 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: for their thoughts. And if you said something not so 34 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: careful about that last party earlier in the chain, well 35 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: they might read the whole thread all the way down 36 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: to the bottom, and then you will be embarrassed. In 37 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: this day and age, you might be embarrassed. Broadly, we 38 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: would all hope that people would respect digital privacy, and 39 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: some companies lawyer up to make sure stuff is deleted, 40 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: But people often read emails on their phones. Their phones 41 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: have cameras. The phones also connect to apps like Twitter 42 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: or Instagram, where hundreds, if not thousands, of people can 43 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: see what is posted and forward it themselves. You make 44 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: a joke, your colleague finds funny, he screenshots it and 45 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: sends it to a friend who decides to post it 46 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: on Facebook, And well, if the joke was maybe not 47 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: entirely appropriate and your name is still on it, you 48 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: have a problem. So save the off color jokes for 49 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: your stand up routine. Anytime you commit something to writing, 50 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: assume that the audience might be broader than you think. 51 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: An email may even resurface from years ago. You've seen 52 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: it happen on social media to other people, it could 53 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: happen to you. Now. That doesn't mean that you have 54 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: to be incredibly guarded or awkward. You just have to think. 55 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: In general, talking about people critically behind their backs isn't 56 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: a great idea anyway, so it's probably not a great 57 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: idea in an email either. This is really just about 58 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: being empathetic. So as you prepare to hit send, take 59 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: a moment to ask yourself what would happen if someone 60 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: else saw the email. If you'd be able to explain 61 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: fairly easily, and you wouldn't be embarrassed to see it 62 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: out in the world, you're all right. Most likely none 63 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: of that will happen, but it is always the emails 64 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: where you would prefer it didn't happen where it does. 65 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: Best to be careful in the meantime. This is Laura. 66 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 67 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 68 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,119 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 69 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 70 00:04:55,440 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four than 71 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an 72 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that 73 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks 74 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before 75 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For more 76 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 77 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.