When Neal Patterson, CEO of Cerner Corporation wrote a scathing e-mail to the corporation’s managers accusing employees of working less than 40 hours a week and not working hard enough, he had no idea the impact it would make. The memo was anonymously posted on a computer bulletin board. In the two days after the memo became public, the company’s stock price dropped $7.85, and the third day it dropped $6.13, closing the week at $34 per share. The company’s market cap fell $270 million, and Patterson’s personal net worth dropped by about $28 million.
When interviewed later, Patterson, who is known for making direct statements, said the memo was not intended for public dissemination. He simply wanted to express his concern over the flagging work ethic.
E-mail memos are standard in many workplaces. How can you and your company avoid devastating results? Here are a few pointers for e-mailing successfully.
- Write when you are calm. Wait until you can rationally consider the consequences of your words.
- Use correct grammar. Use a dictionary. If unsure, send the memo to a secretary or trusted colleague for suggestions before mailing. Your employees’ respect is on the line.
- Be diplomatic. Extremely direct or offensive language seldom generates change or compliance.
- Keep it simple. Identify the problem in a sentence or two. Then suggest a solution.
- Send memos only to those concerned. Don’t make employees wade through e-mail they don’t need.
- Avoid sending unnecessary e-mails, jokes, or Internet fluff. Employees shouldn’t have to decide which of your memos to take seriously and which are frivolous.
The Internet is not a private place. Practicing e-mail etiquette makes good sense.
Source: David Hayes; Julius A Karash “Harsh e-mail roils Cerner; CEO’s words, tone hurt stock price” The Kansas City Star SHRM News www.shrm.org
| 
