Sending difficult emails
In 6 easy steps
Someone sends you an email that makes your stomach turn. There are seven people in CC and the long story boils down to someone wanting to dump all the misery in your garden wants to dump it. But that doesn't just happen. Enter; a short lesson in writing difficult emails.
Anyway, you need to let the message sink in and brood over the perfect response. I understand that you want to type away your anger and irritation immediately, but how often does it not happen that you come up with something better to write later??
Moreover, it's good to let the sender feel that this is not your only project and that you have more important matters on your mind. You let them hang for a bit.
Or at least as briefly as possible. Important people generally don't have time to read long emails, and to be honest, I also lose interest with a long epistle. Then you quickly get into a back-and-forth argument. Don't do it. Think in broad strokes and think solution-oriented.
I always find CC a bit NSB-like when it comes to a conflict between two people that is being fought out via email. Sure, if you want to organize a group dinner, CC is a fine tool, or if you want to invite a third person to a conversation or something. But in a ‘dispute’, it looks as if you can't handle it yourself.
Not very chic, moreover, the other person will definitely put the whole list back in the CC and they will still read your brilliant responses and sharp, yet brief, analyses.
I once sent an email at 5:30 AM. Yes, in the morning. I had been awake all night and sent it out at that time. I even started with: After a good night's sleep, which only made it more unbelievable. night If you send your email at a bizarre time in the night or early morning, your opponent knows you're struggling and they are already 1-0 ahead. So.
even if you write it at an ungodly hour, you just send it at 9:15 AM. It is, of course, tempting to forward that nasty email with a snappy review to that colleague you like, but be careful. Danger lurks around the corner. A dear editor of mine reacted to a message from a difficult photographer boeboeshoeshoe and toedeloe. She wanted to send it to me (because that photographer had made my life difficult and she supported me) but she sent it straight to the photographer's inbox.
And my publisher described the ladies of an international title she worked for as 'skinny bitches', and that email also ended up in the wrong inbox. She thanks God and heaven and everyone still that they didn't speak Dutch and weren't so adept with Google Translate, but still. No, no, no, don't do it.
If you really want to solve something, calling is a better idea. When you hear each other's voices, people tend to come to a solution. Words can always be interpreted differently than you intended, and before you know it, the conflict escalates with every ping.
Calling also makes you strong; you dare to look the beast straight in the face. Afterwards, you send a follow-up email with everything you discussed so that everything is clear. And then all those meddlesome types can stay in the.
Go for it! CC.
Someone sends you an email that makes your stomach turn. There are seven people in CC and the long story boils down to someone wanting to dump all the misery in your garden...
