My heart skips a beat. Tiny beads of sweat appear on my forehead. I use “colorful language” to express my dismay. And, although I frantically pound the delete button on my keyboard, I can’t retrieve the unedited or misdirected or possibly inappropriate email message I just sent. 

The topic of problematic emails came up during a workshop I attended.  Our facilitator shared an article he read in which Sundar Pichai, a Google vice president, explained why the Chrome OS-based netbook keyboards don’t include the Caps Lock button at all:  to increase civility by reducing the electronic shouting that comes from writing in all caps�. 

As a former English major, I don’t think I could give up on capital letters, but there certainly are days when I wish the Send button on my keyboard was missing.  Over the years, I’ve sent my share of email bloopers.  For the most part, though, I am a particularly Mindful Sender when it comes to emails.  That trait, like most, is both a gift and a curse.  Students who want lightening fast responses from me are often disappointed, and my co-workers often have to listen to me complain about the full status of my inbox.  Right now, however, I’m thinking about the gifts of being a Mindful Sender.
 
When I compose a message, especially one intended for a person I’ve never met, I’m very aware that the message really is me in a way. It creates the first impression the recipient has of me; it sets the tone for our future interactions; it illustrates my knowledge or competence. Much like a cover letter says a lot about the person behind it–a simple email message can be revealing, too.   

Consider the following email:
 

From:                   karit@gmail.com

To:                        Katelyn Perry (krp5@psu.edu)

Subject:               Appointment–urgent! 

Hey, I just wanted to know when your walk-ins are. I really need to see you because I schedule tomorrow night, and I want to make sure I schedule the right classes. Do I have to take STAT 200?

Thanks!

Kari  

This email is short and pretty straightforward, right?  But let’s compare it to this message:  

 
From:                  Kari Thompson (ket8702@psu.edu)

To:                       Katelyn Perry (krp5@psu.edu)

Subject:               Question about STAT 200  

Hi, Katelyn:  I saw that you have walk-ins on Thursday from 1-4 pm, and I wanted to let you know that I will be stopping by.  I can register for classes next week, and I’d like to talk about what I plan to take next semester.  I have a pretty good plan mapped out, but I’m not sure about STAT 200.  Do I have to take that class?

Thanks!  I’ll see you on Thursday to talk about everything else.

Kari
90001111
LERBA major    

How many aspects of this second message are awesome in terms of what they reveal about the writer?  Let me count the ways…
  

1. The student used a more professional salutation in this message (“Hi, Katelyn,”) which is much nicer than the original, “Hey.”
2. The writer used her Penn State email address AND she included her Penn State ID number.  For the person on the receiving end of this message, these two items are golden–they make it possible to correctly identify the sender and to, therefore, appropriately assess her question.
3. Advisers’ walk-in hours are listed in multiple places online.  The writer of this message clearly demonstrated her resourcefulness in taking the time to find that information.
4. The student illustrated her time management skills in contacting her adviser a week before she needed to schedule courses.  Furthermore, her message includes a concise question about STAT 200 that can realistically be answered via email.   

Admittedly, I don’t analyze every email message I receive.  But I can tell you that a message like the second one would stand out to me because of the sender’s attention to detail, professionalism, and time management skills.
 
Not long ago, a student and I met to talk about an offensive email he sent–in a moment of frustration–to a professor.  The gist of it was that he wanted to add the instructor’s course.  In his mind, having this course was an urgent matter.  He sent two inquiries to the instructor, and then when the instructor declined his request, he sent a third, angry message.
 
The offended professor forwarded the student’s message to his department head and to the advising center in his College to complain about the disrespectful tone of the email.  One of the advisers in the group saw that eLion listed me as the student’s adviser and contacted me about talking to the student.   By the time we met, over ten people had seen this message.
 
In addition to being embarrassed, the student damaged his professional reputation because of this email message. It’s easy to think of your professional life as something that starts after you graduate when you have a job.  But that’s a mistake.  Your professional identity is developing now.  Your decisions to apply to college and to attend Penn State are key aspects of your professional self.  Your choice of major and your co-curricular experiences are pieces of this puzzle as well.  Your interactions with others, how you handle yourself, and your experiences at Penn State are also part of your professional development. 
 
My advisee’s offensive email consisted of two sentences–but it spoke volumes about him.
 
In your mind’s eye, imagine how the student could have handled the situation and his email exchanges with the instructor in a more positive, professional way.  He might not have gotten exactly what he wanted, but I’m sure he–and the instructor–would have felt much better about how everything played out.
 
Before you hit the Send button…what do your email messages say about you?

�Deiters, Steve.   “Google Enters Operating System Mark with Chrome Os.”  ArticleSnatch.com, n.d. Web.  14 Feb. 2012.