9.Bad news
This past fall, Barron's accidentally sent out a message to the entire Wall Street Journal newsroom announcing impending layoffs, as Politico reported.
Take it from that fiasco: bad news is best announced in person, not over email.
"If you are delivering bad news — for example, announcing job layoffs or the cancellation of a project, always deliver the news whenever possible face to face, or at least over the phone, where you can take the time to have a real conversation, respond to questions in real time, and better handle any of the emotional fallout more effectively," Kerr said. "There are, believe it or not, stories of people being fired via email which is unimaginably cruel and inappropriate in any work context."
10.Major decisions that require a lot of discussion or ex...
"Face-to-face, personal communication that allows for a real conversation to happen is always going to be the most effective form of communication there is, so anything that requires a real conversation should be done face to face," Kerr said.
11.Negative feedback
Negative feedback or criticism of any kind should never be sent over email," Kerr said. "It's not fair to the person receiving it and it will come across as far more negative and severe, no matter how carefully worded, in written from than when delivered face to face."
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