Like toothpaste in a tube, once you click “Send” on an Email you can’t get it back.  Ever type an Email that is disparaging to another person or company and then accidently sent it to that person or company?  Well, I have never done that one to that degree, but I just had it done to me.  After my initial anger, disbelief, and short bout of depression (lasted about 30 minutes),  I began to analyze the situation.

I, of course, used the situation to my advantage but I delved even further.  The sheer devastation that this could or may have presented to thier company caused me to pause and wonder how this could have been prevented from the senders stand point.  I do not want my snap emotional responses to end up like this persons.  So, I analyzed every word and punctuation.  Then I analyzed day and time of email and the situation.  The email was sent early in the morning on a monday apparently after a business trip.  I believe it was a business trip because the auto reply was the same for other people I included on the original email.  The original email was an attempt to get a response for someone, anyone because voice mails and email went unanswered. 

I was angered because I was referred to as a GUY and they did not even use my position or name.  I was also portrayed as a desperate vendor trying to retain a client (partly true, but my client asked us to get involed anyway and they knew this).  What threw me into depression was the fact that I was referred to as an “pain” and it was also intimated that we were already the “old” vendor.  Very hurtful email if sent to the wrong person, which it was.

I have been trying to think of what I did wrong (very common thing to do if you truely care about others) and could not think of one.  I only called and emailed two to three times in a two month period!  So, I began to think of this persons situation and how did they get to the point of getting up all over me.  For starters, it was a Monday.  Enough said about that, but I do know many people who like Mondays.  He must of had a ton of email being gone at some trip for several days and that can be a daunting task to get through all of them.  When in that situation people tend to delegate and task out stuff as much and fast as possible with little attention to detail (inter office detail can be worked out later, just get through them all).  The person the email was intended for was also on the same business trip.  So I imagine this was a buddy to buddy type of communication lacking tact and compassion of any type. 

Because I was trying to solicit a response, I had used some strong language as to competence and intent with a soft finish opening a door for communication.  This approach obviously worked, just not the way I would have wanted it to work.  How this works for me is that the person who was trying to throw me over the bridge are trying to gain my client (we are not in the same industry but we compliment each other).  This could have been a good situation to learn from each other how to best work for the client.  I do not believe this person has done a very good job for thier company because they apparently do not value the client more than they value themself.  Someone who can so easily disregard a positive potential will rarely have the advantage – in anything.  My guess is that this person has lost many opportunities that they do not even know about. 

In conclusion, if this person would have responded in a honest, humble fashion I would not have ratted him out to the client.  I may still have to work with them and I am sure there are great people in that company, but I will be wary until I see evidence to the contrary.  When you come in on mondays and after a vacation or business trip, have a couple cups of coffee, talk to a few coworkers about your trip or weekend and laugh a little before you settle into catching up on email.  You’ll have a better chance of doing it from a happy, grateful heart.

Thank God that was not me who sent the email (wouldn’t happen though, I have a happy heart)!

And you know, I have still not heard back from them and they know they sent it to the wrong person because I told them so.  If it was me, I would falling all over myself to fix this one.

Well, 2009 is over! I could not be happier. How about you? Let me know if you feel the same. I still feel uncertain about the economic, political, and social termoil that 2009 whipped up for us all.

The economy shows signs of life but there are still housing and employment issues looming and who can trust the numbers being put out. I guess we’ll all hold our breath until second quarter.

Politically, I could not be more disenchanted with the whole thing. It seems the game in Washington, DC to make us feel like they are solving problems while finding ways to make us pay more money into a system that seems to be fighting against us while lining their own pockets and this goes for all of them on the hill (republican, independant, democrat, and whoever). I would love to see a complete change this year when we vote in November.

Socially, what a mess. Pretty soon we’ll flinch when someone says Hi to a man named Jack. A lovely quote from a felon comes to mind “can’t we all just get along”. I guess I do not understand how blowing yourself and innocent people up will accomplish anything but pain and anguish. It is ultimately the most selfish thing anyone could do, but I guess they don’t care they are no longer here to hear the crying or see the seas of tears. I know my maker values all life and ours is not up to us to decide when it is over. In fact, that decision is supposed to make things worse for you.

So, with all this good news, what am I going to do about it this year. Economically, I am going to get out of credit card debt. I did the calulation, I should have retired already but the interest payments have kept me employed – bummer. Politically, I am actually going to study the people I vote for office. More work, but I can’t complain if I don’t walk the walk. Socially, I will love my family (they rock), friends (they rock too), and most importantly myself (I will be a rock) more. I will make more friends (where will I find the time or them?). I will volunteer. I have not formally done this and I look forward to it. I can no longer afford to sit back. I am beening called, as we all are, to step into the light, give honest humble thanks, pray, and have them answered. Welcome 2010, this year is going to be challenging and promises to stretch us all. Good luck and blessings to everyone.

This one made me think.  I have mixed feelings about the people who are sueing T-Mobile for back pay and OT because they were working outside normal hours on business.  On one side, if T-Mobile was requiring them to work after hours AND punished them for not working then they did push the envelope and should be in hot water.  On the other side, the culture of the young working professional is as such.  They perform these functions (working after hours, answering emails, responding the customers through their mobile devices) as a large part of their lives.  They are communicating with clients and potential clients through social media.  Why these professional do this is because most business is client driven and the clients know this all to well.  The most responsive and social business professional usually gets the deal.  Most of the time, it is not price the client is buying but the person.  T-Mobile must have really pushed this too far for them to get into this deep of trouble, but then I wouldn’t put anything past a lawyer and a disgruntled employee.

Dangers of letting non-exempt workers go home with cell phones.

Question
We’re thinking about having a question on our job application asking if the applicant has ever been charged with a crime.

Is it legal to ask? Can the question cause problems?

ANSWER -> Answers to tricky HR questions: OK to ask about criminal charges?.

If you’re not careful you’ll miss the subtlety of the syntax of the answer.  Just as lady justice is blind, a charge does not mean a conviction.  A charge has no bearing on guilt just as guilt has no bearing on the conviction. Notice that guilt is really not part of the equation between charge and conviction. Guilt is ours to own and take up with our maker – the real victim. Whoa, that was deep – sorry.

Thought I had heard them all but the first one struck me as truely an interesting complaint.

The 10 strangest workplace complaints.

Any funnier ones?