August 31, 2009

Not What You Say But How You Say It


"I have often regretted my speech, never my silence."

Publilius Syrus
1st century BC writer of maxims


If you've ever been involved in an office argument, you know what this means. Moreover while speech is one thing, the problem is compounded with email and text communication.

My email/text communication rules:
  1. Never say anything negative to or about someone in email. If it is important enough to think, it is important enough to be said rather than written.
  2. Let some time pass before having any conversation in which you plan to criticize someone else. You will often find you see things differently if you do.
  3. If you need to say something negative about someone to a third person, have them present when you do.
  4. What about ccing others? If you follow the first three rules, that won't be an issue.
Do you have rules? What are they?

Have I ever had problems with this? Why do you think I now have rules?

4 comments :

  1. I would like to tell you what I think about you but your post says not to in writing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If my mother wasn't dead I would think you were her.

    ReplyDelete
  3. These are the right rules and it is good to see people such as Anonymous and apparently your mother, God rest her soul, following them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

    ReplyDelete