Think Before Hitting “Send”

How often have you sent an email, just to later regret doing it?  It might be something as simple as noticing a glaring typo in the split second between when you hit “send” and the email disappears from your screen.  Or, it might be that you wrote the email in the heat of the moment when you were angry and then regret doing so later, after you have cooled off or after that email shows up as “Exhibit A” in a legal proceeding.

The benefit of email, its speed, may also be its most harmful feature.  Before the days of email, people would have to type out a letter, manually sign it, stick it in an envelope, and leave it for the post-office to collect.  At any point in the process, the sender could reconsider whether they really want to send the letter and pull it back without the recipient even knowing.  However, in the days of email we can now type out an email at 50+ words per minute, hit “send,” and the recipient will be reading it before the ink on a traditional letter would have even had time to dry.

We have all received correspondence that gets us fired up.  When we do, it is tempting to fire off a heated reply email to the other person, defending our position or calling them a few choice or colorful words.  However, such rash action is ill advised.  Before hitting “send,” think about whether you would want a jury to see that email, on the big screen, in court.

If you are fired up, feel free to draft the scathing email where you spout all the venom you want.  But, do not hit “send.”  Let the draft sit in your “drafts” folder for an entire day, to allow yourself to cool down.  Or, better yet, instead of drafting the email just jot ideas of what you would want to say on a note pad and then set it aside for a day.  It can be cathartic to put into words the emotionally driven things you want to say.  Then, come back to it the next day and think more clearly as to whether that is not just what you want to say, but if it is most appropriate or effective way to say it.  Think about the possible repercussions of sending of sending that heated email.  Remember the old adage that you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.

If you need to respond to an email quickly, and cannot wait a day, then wait as long as you can between the time that you draft your response and before you send the email.  Have a colleague (someone detached from the emotions of the response) read through your draft and give you feedback on what your email should say.  Doing so will help to prevent headaches later.

If you have a heated dispute with another person or company, call the litigators at Goosmann Law, PLC, in our Omaha, Sioux City, and Sioux Falls offices.  We can help you know how to respond appropriately to achieve your end goals and avoid the pitfalls of sending a rash or hurried email in the heat of the moment.