Some email stories

Story one.

Yesterday I was sent an email from a colleague - to let me know what the project is that he is involved in and I suppose to keep me in the loop.

I reply: It is my plan that the team use a central tasklist compiled by another team member to track our work. So if anyone is away we are informed and can take action their projects/tasks need attention etc. etc.

He replies: "Does this mean we have to be team players?"

My thoughts (as boss of two weeks and having known this fellow about one week of it): Is he joking? I am forcing my views on the team? Does he want to be a loner? Is he implying that I should lead by example and be a team player - I interact with my old team quite a bit maybe he doesn't like that?

My email reply: Long and rambling, not forcing my views on anyone, though hope you recognise the benefits of working in a team., I don't want to know your comings and goings just what your projects are......etc. etc. etc. blah, blah, blah.

He pops by my office: "It was a joke."

I drop by to see him later: "Well the problem with me is I over-analyse every word - occupational hazard being a lawyer. I cite a recent example, a male friend sent me an email to congratulate me on my new position, and used the words "nice to see people rewarded for their longevity"

I of course then spent about 15 mins pondering - does he mean I am old!, could he mean because I have been with the organisation 2 years - is that considered a long time these days?

I forward his email to another friend for a second opinion and ask her what does she think he means; she replies "He means congratulations"

Story two.

Yesterday a long day - some hiccups in the morning, and spent half my day trying to sort out something which would not have been a problem if I had been given the correct version of the document in the first place. Lots of exasperating things I am spending time on without any feeling of accomplishment.

At 5.30pm at the end of a long week, I decide to send my last email attaching a number of documents, I cc a host of people throughout my organisation and the recipients and another organisation.

My good friend (the one who I asked the second opinion of above) is standing by me as the spell check automatically begin, the final check before the email is sent .

I tell her how I the other day - I accidentally allowed the spell check to insert the word "cello" over the acronym for a job title of a person in the organisation so it read something to the effect "the cello will review the document." Felt like an idiot of course.

As I relate this story, my spell check moves to the word "anticipate" and in the context of the email it says " X and Y anticipate". In my tiredness and my hurry to leave for the day I have misspelled anticipate and as I talk, I am clicking the mouse, before I know it I have replaced "anticipate" with "antipasti" and the email is gone. gone. gone. gone.

Friend and I laugh hysterically, I have now sent an antipasti email!

On Monday they will all get the antipasti email.

I ask, and if there is anyone reading, I really want to know because I feel like such a tool, do I compound the email error and send another email to all saying I meant to say "anticipate".?