Avoid Replying Angry Email

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Order pizza, clean the fridge, call long distance anything, but 
whatever you do, don't respond to an email when you're still mad.

What? It’s one of those unbelievable emails. If you are on your laptop, you push your face in, to check if what you are reading, is what you are reading. If you are on your phone, you zoom out the message.

Next response is natural, but wrong. You start pounding those keys, then caution taps you on the shoulder. It is suicidal to respond when you are angry, no matter the content: that man telling you he wants a divorce, the bank saying hackers have cleaned out your account, the boss telling you have been replaced by Artificial Intelligence, Ronna McDaniel or both, your son telling you he totaled the car and the municipality telling everyone in your gated community that the park behind the complex is going to be a prison for young offenders.

I should know. Something precious to me disappeared from the screen. Ah! Ah! Where did it go? I did some trouble shooting but nothing. Critical information disappeared into thin air. Somebody was to blame, naturally. I was just about to send the service provider a scathing email then I took a deep breath. I detectived myself. Yes indeed! I became a detective, asked myself questions and retraced my steps. Then I crafted a lukewarm e-mail and pressed SEND. It turns out that it was my fault all along. I’m so glad I sent a polite email. This service provider has been very professional in the past, and I don’t want to burn my bridges with them.

Next time you get an infuriating email, switch off your phone or walk away from your laptop. Put something in the oven, make a salad, do kids’ hair, go for a walk, anything. Just don’t send an email in anger.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger

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