Have you ever been the recipient of an email that the sender clearly didn't intend you -- or the whole company -- to see? There are few office foibles as embarrassing as clicking "reply to all" or "forward" at the wrong time.
It usually starts innocently, when someone mistakenly fires off a message to dozens, even hundreds of people, instead of to just one person. But although these email features are intended to save you time when emailing a group of coworkers or relaying information to a third party, they can land you in trouble if you don't know how to use them.
Here are three reasons why you should be sparing in your use of the "reply to all" and "forward" functions in your email account.
Avoid becoming the office spammer. 别做办公室垃圾邮件制造者。In today's flat organizations, where an increasing number people have similar or overlapping assignments, responsibilities are ever-shifting and sometimes it's hard to know who is accountable for what. If you've been asked to pass on an email that someone else wrote and you're unsure who is the intended recipient, you might think it's OK to spam everyone who might be involved, but it's not. Your coworkers might not know who is supposed to act on the message and thus forward it to even more people, causing company-wide confusion. Those for whom the email clearly does not apply will simply regard it as spam.
Don't spoil your boss's image. 别破坏老板的形象。If your boss asks you in an email to speak to a coworker about a problem he or she has with that individual, forwarding the message blindly (and the incriminating language in it) is like setting it in stone. It will not only offend the recipient of the email but could also get you in trouble for allowing remarks that can be construed as personal criticism to seep through company email. Such situations are handled best by phone or face-to-face communication. Unless you have requested permission, do not forward anything that was sent solely to you. If you are still determined to use email, restate the original message in neutral, diplomatic terms.
Contain controversy. 包容不同事物。If you harbor hard feelings toward a coworker, remember that sending or forwarding just one libelous, offensive or obscene remark can mean court cases - and multi-million dollar penalties - for you and your company. Even if you are not the author of the verbal missive, refrain from getting involved in the firestorm that is bound to follow.
