Grammar and Writing Conventions

State two (2) possible outcomes of a writer neglecting to use correct basic rules of writing and grammar and punctuation rules when communicating electronically in the workplace.

Share your experience receiving a professional communication (text, email, memo, or letter) that did not adhere to writing conventions and / or used incorrect grammar and punctuation; then explain the impact of these issues on the failure of the communication.

When communicating to co-workers or professionals it is important to use proper grammar. If you do not people may become confused and not understand what you are asking. Which may lead people to think less of you and wonder if you are the right person for the job. Electronic communication extends beyond e-mail, but also texting and any other form of written communication. When writing a report or e-mail it is important to understand that any mistakes you make will be saved. People will be able to look back and see these mistakes, so it is very important to catch them before you submit your work.  

            At work we had a co-work who receive a promotion to director. He comes from a humble back round and people were wondering if he would be the right guy for the job. One day he sent out an e-mail updating everyone to what is going on in the department. The e-mail was riddled with grammatical mistakes and many wondered if he understood how to wright. People began to think he might not be the right guy for the job just by the one e-mail he wrote. Some people went as far as to save the e-mail to shows others. Learning from his mistake he took his time on the next e-mail and because of this his e-mails have gotten a lot better. This goes to show that if you do not cross you T’s or dot you I’s it can come back to haunt you.  

In today’s business environment there is a tremendous need to recognize business critical correspondence/emails and route promptly and appropriately for action based on urgency and business impact.  When performing all business initiatives, presentations, logistics there is a need for attention to details.  Therefore, when an email is sent without “Attention to Details, Focus and Structure” the outcome will likely be a negative experience for both the sender and the recipient. 

One day a new temp secretary was hired to coordinate travel logistics for the department.  She lives in another time zone – Chicago.  When she emailed everyone the details she did not take into consideration the fact that the majority of clients live on the east coast. In her haste to send out logistics, she confused everyone with major typographical errors (she didn’t use spellcheck!).  She neglected to indicate the correct time zone in the Outlook meeting invite (which was supposed to be 8:00a CST).  She also neglected to provide the Limo Driver correct details, e.g. she was supposed to give (EST) pick up time NOT (CST).  When the business travelers arrived at the airport, they had to wait a full hour looking for drivers.  These travelers booked EXTRA EARLY A.M. flights based on the email they received.  She also, neglected to give the correct Hotel address to the Limo company. She typed Marriott Hotel in Alpharetta without the exact street address.  I guess she didn’t realized or even bother to check to see that there are 3 Marriott Hotels in Alpharetta.  As you can imagine, everyone was upset about the fact that they booked early morning flights unnecessarily.  Their Limo rides were delayed 1 hour and to make matters worse, everyone was stuck in traffic trying to find the right Marriott for the meeting. Upon arrival, everyone was so frustrated by all the mistakes that occurred which was a major inconvenience.  All of these mistakes could’ve easily been avoided if she had checked her facts and writing conventions before sending.  Several words were miss-spelled throughout the email, and that should’ve been a “red flag” indication to check the logistics too.  

Impact of these issues on the failure of the communication:

Consequence for the Sender – Your brand and reputation can be tarnished and your credibility  lost.  Everyone who receives your erroneous email will now question your effectiveness in the workplace. You will always be judged, and rightfully so.  You should never hit the send button without proofreading and using good judgment to anticipate the outcome. You risk, loss of employment (Fired) for transmitting inaccurate data that can waste company resources, money, time and loss of productivity for other employees.  Some email mistakes are unforgivable, and can warrant dismissal.

Consequence for the Recipient- Major Impact for recipient – loss of trust and revenue.  Recipients will always question sender’s reliability and  capabilities. Wasted time, money and productivity could result in an obvious consequence of negative feedback on your performance.  The department relied on this information to meet a travel need.  It shows negligent behavior and sheer lack of respect for others. 

The primary purpose for the meeting was supposed to be a productive brainstorming session but it wasn’t due to delays. Everyone spent so much time complaining about the situation that valuable time and energy was wasted.  Unfortunately, she was not qualified for the position, because a prerequisites for the job was “pays attention to details” which she failed to do in this case. This could have been a positive experience if she had diligently checked all details before hitting the send button.