To Write or Not to Write?

“Someone should write about how technology writing has ruined relationships. Sometimes e-mail is misused, misunderstood. The misuse of e-mail and other technology has made me start picking up the phone again, calling people, and setting up face-to-face meetings.”

—SURVEY RESPONDENT

Before we get started, I’d like to point out that writing isn’t always the best way to communicate in business. Writing, even good writing, can slow down communication and decision-making. Imperfect writing can create misunderstandings. Thoughtless writing can breach confidentiality and expose you and your organization to risk. Before you write, you’re wise to consider if writing is the best communication option in your particular case.

This flowchart can help you think about whether your message might be conveyed better through a phone call or a face-to-face conversation than through a written communication. The flowchart isn’t meant to be exhaustive; there are other situations where a face-to-face conversation might be better than a written message—for instance, when you need to apologize for something. But it’s a good starting place to help you decide to write . . . or not to write.

To Write or Not to Write

What Communications Professionals Want You to Know About Writing at Work

Anita Gupta

Creating a paper trail at work—making sure there’s a written record of discussions and decisions—can be useful, but it can also create a risk for yourself and your organization. The news is full of stories about business e-mails—either leaked or uncovered as part of a legal investigation—that reveal misconduct or cast the organization in an unsavory light. Communications professionals know that a little caution with the written word could have saved these writers and their organizations from bad publicity, regulatory action, or legal action—and we want you to exercise the same caution.

Applying a simple test to everything you write at work can help protect your organization from serious consequences. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if my boss read what I’ve written?” and “How would I feel if my message ended up on the front page of the New York Times?” If the answers to those questions make you even a little uncomfortable, delete what you’ve written. Consider conveying the message in person, or not conveying it at all.

The catalog of risky content is quite broad, including anything illegal or unethical, anything that even appears to be illegal or unethical, and generally anything that might make your organization look bad. Sexist or racist remarks, jokes about misusing expense accounts, jokes about overbilling, and comments that insult your colleagues, clients, or customers—all of these can get your organization in trouble.

It’s also worth remembering that in protecting your organization, you’re protecting yourself, too. The e-mails, texts, and instant messages that you write at work are the property of your company, and your company can review them at any time, without your knowledge or consent. If your messages show that you’re violating legal or ethical standards or company policies, you can be dismissed.

With the advent of social media, the category of “writing at work” extends further than it used to. Even though you don’t explicitly represent your organization when you post on social media sites, remember that anything you post can reflect on your company. When you post on social media, give some thought to what your boss might think. Large organizations with legal and risk management departments usually issue guidelines about personal use of social media and tend to be the most sensitive about what their employees do, but all companies care what you do online. It might not seem fair, but no matter who you work for, you can lose your job for behaving badly on social media. Things like advocating violence, using excessive profanity, posting pornography, or using abusive language on social media can show your organization in a bad light and can put your job in jeopardy.

Remembering that your messages at work aren’t private and exercising a little common sense can help protect you and your organization from the potentially risky consequences of putting it in writing.

Anita Gupta is head of global media relations and regional head of corporate communications and responsibility, Americas at Deutsche Post DHL Group.