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PAASTUB Email Process-Step 6: Ugly Remarks Edited

PAASTUB Email Process-Step 6: Ugly Remarks Edited

“Ugly Remarks Edited” means never compose nor pass on highly critical or intemperate remarks in email. Once you hit “send,” you have no control over who sees your email.

The seven PAASTUB steps are:

Step 1: Purpose is Clear: a clear purpose (outcome in mind) is necessary for effective email

Step 2: Action: make it easy for readers to learn what you want

Step 3: Audience: keep the right people informed

Step 4: Subject as Art: make the content clear from the subject alone

Step 5: Take Out the Trash: make the message easy to read quickly

(you are here) Step 6: Ugly Remarks Edited: keep yourself and others out of trouble

Step 7: BLUF-ing: focus attention with a concise summary

This post describes step 6 of the PAASTUB (pronounced “paystub”) email process: Ugly Remarks Edited. It includes:

• A warning about sending email when you are upset or angry (don’t, a very short warning),

• A general description of negative statements that have no place in email (many of them contain the word “idiot”),

• How to communicate something negative or sensitive to someone (use the phone or go in person), and

• Modifying sensitive text anywhere it appears in an email, even when you didn’t write it.

Keep yourself and others out of trouble by removing angry or rash text from your emails. Including sensitive comments from others or writing your own in email messages doesn’t reflect well on you. I know this from experience. Never send email when you are upset or angry. While there is value in the emotional release provided by getting things “off your chest,” DON’T PUT IT IN EMAIL. If you have written an email with some strongly worded criticism or an angry response, don’t hit “send.” Just save it to drafts so you can review it later when you are calmer, less upset, and more likely to delete it than send it. Email is not an effective communications method when strong emotions are involved unless you want people to know how immature and petty you can be.

Negative statements that have no place in email fall into four categories.

• The first and most obvious type of negative speech is vulgarity or profanity. Regardless of how common it is in internet forums or what it might do for your mental health, it has no place in email, ever.

• The second broad category of negative speech is an ad hominem attack, which involves criticizing a person apart from their position or opinion by using insults or epithets, like referring to them as stupid or an idiot even if you know that their SAT scores were really low.

• The third category of negative speech is libelous, sexist or racially discriminating comments. It does not matter and is not an excuse if they are meant to be jokes.

• The fourth category is criticism or second-guessing of someone’s decisions or the performance of members of their organization behind their back. Text in your email message that falls under any of these categories is likely to cause problems for you later so don’t write this way.

If you feel that you really must communicate something negative or sensitive to someone, stop writing the email and use the phone. Do not use email to discuss business sensitive information or your personal opinions about the faults of others.

Modify sensitive verbiage anywhere it appears in an email, regardless of its source. Once he or she sends an email, an Email Ninja takes full responsibility for everything in it, not just what he or she wrote. I use two approaches to modify negative comments made by others. The first is to tone down emotions and negativity by softening it to make it less harsh. Paraphrase the offending text so it won’t be offending. The second is to delete it entirely.

For more details about taking the trash out of emails and a full explanation of each of the seven steps, consider purchasing my book “How to: Become an Email Ninja,” $9.99 for the Kindle edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086XMJJ75. My next post on email will summarize the final Step 7 of the PAASTUB process, BLUF-ing. It will explain the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) of an email, why nearly all emails need one, and what it should contain.

PAASTUB Email Process-Step 5: Take Out the Trash

PAASTUB Email Process-Step 5: Take Out the Trash

HRO 9f Collision at Sea-Sequence of Events5

HRO 9f Collision at Sea-Sequence of Events5