I work with a team. Well, actually I work with two teams. I have a main group that hired me, which is a temp group of about 50 people, and an office that I work in any given day with about 12 people in various cubicles. With all of those people, everyone can all agree on one thing. We need to get things done. So, both groups will occasionally send an email to ask a question.
Do you know what the single most irritating thing on the planet is? When someone who is in no way involved and doesn’t know the answer continually throws out suggestions for solutions.
This owl is PISSED at you.
Choosing to give advice where it’s not helpful is like when you’re posting on Facebook asking if anyone can watch your dog while you’re visiting your parents and you parents comment that they can watch your dog. Not only is this unhelpful, but it’s annoying because we thought for a split second our problem might be solved only to realize it’s just our parents making a lame joke.
Scenario:
Someone asks in a general email what the extension of a certain person in the company is.
Here are four reasons you should not reply at all.
1. You are pretty sure you can find it on Google. You’ve never personally googled it yourself, but you’re pretty sure it’s out there.
Are you kidding me? How is that advice helpful? If it was on Google, then why do we need you?
2. You think they can call the main company line and just ask someone.
Really? You don’t think that was the first thing they thought of?
3. You want to remind them that you can email the person and ask for their number.
Were you dropped on the head as a child? See nasty comment number two.
4. You want to comment on how unusual it is that they can’t find the answer to their problem.
If you do this, I think they should be allowed to punch you in the face as hard as they want.
Reasons you should reply:
1. YOU KNOW THE ANSWER.
Does this happen to you? Does it bother you? How do you keep people from responding like this?
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/5352491819/”>Tambako the Jaguar</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>
