Email malfunction - advice needed.

[PAH]

If there's a chance that the unintended recipient hasn't read it yet, do what they 'always' do on TV or in the movies:

Distract the recipient away from his PC, gain access to their PC by guessing the password, and delete the email.

If he/she catches you in the act, have a cover excuse for being there. e.g. just bringing this document

If the criticism is genuine they may just take it on the chin if they can accept they're not perfect, so best policy may be to do nothing and see what (if anything) happens. Then raise it at the meeting as originally planned, after which the email will be irrelevant.

[MarillionFan]

I've also done it in the past... best advice is to hide under the desk if you see them approaching

or

Just twat him, walk out & find another contract & put it down to experience

I'd brazen it out. But as I've never done it as I'm not stupid enough to ever insult/criticise someone via an electronic communication I couldn't comment.

You dumb broad.

[DimPrawn]

I'd brazen it out. But as I've never done it as I'm not stupid enough to ever insult/criticise someone via an electronic communication I couldn't comment.

You dumb broad.

You liar, you once called me a **** for a start.

[Wodewick]

You liar, you once called me a **** for a start.

That was meant as a compliment!

[gruntling]

I'd just keep quiet.

Noone reads work emails anymore anyway!

[Clippy]

If there's a chance that the unintended recipient hasn't read it yet, do what they 'always' do on TV or in the movies:

Distract the recipient away from his PC, gain access to their PC by guessing the password, and delete the email.

If he/she catches you in the act, have a cover excuse for being there. e.g. just bringing this document

If the criticism is genuine they may just take it on the chin if they can accept they're not perfect, so best policy may be to do nothing and see what (if anything) happens. Then raise it at the meeting as originally planned, after which the email will be irrelevant.

Back in my permie support days, my boss who was based in a satellite office sent me an email request to assist the big chief who was based in my office in London.

I'd already looked at the issue and it was user error so replied back to my boss to that effect whilst also taking the piss out of the big chief.

My boss didn't read the email properly and just forwarded it on, and thank god cc'd me in, to the big chief detailing the situation.

I read the email as soon as it landed in my inbox and proceeded to go a pale colour whilst also struggling not to soil myself.

I never knew I could move so fast. I bolted to the big chiefs office and could not believe my luck.

The big chief was in a meeting, his PA was there (who I got on well with) and she knew his password.

She logged onto his PC for me, I completely deleted the email and then went to the toilet to check how badly I'd sh!t myself.

Lesson learned.

[petergriffin]

How do I best tackle this faux pas? Apologise for it? I can't, I meant it. Brazen it out with a grin?

Pretend nothing happened, forget it, "it wasn't me", "my PC has been hacked "(if you run Shi*dows it's quite possible),"I don't know what you're talking about".

Actually I'm pretty sure you haven't done it and you're just winding us up.

[northernrampage]

Ok, even I've done it. Instead of a FW, I've used a RE and sent a critical email to the recipient of said criticism instead of the PM. While it wasn't insulting and he wasn't named, he is the head of area. I was going to deal with the situation in a more diplomatic manner in a meeting tomorrow.

How do I best tackle this faux pas? Apologise for it? I can't, I meant it. Brazen it out with a grin?

Re. the person it accidentally went to...is there anyway you can have a quick word with them ahead of the meeting to say that perhaps you should have spoken to them first to bring it to their attention? That yes, you think your critique is valid but maybe you would handle it differently another time.

But if that's not how things work where you are I'd leave it.

I've made several email mistakes. Should have learned by now.

I had to turn off someone's PC after I sent an instant message being rude about him to his account. Luckily, he wasn't at his desk.

And currently, a supplier I work with has been angling for my job and making his case to my boss via email. Obviously never crossed his mind that my boss would forward to me.

[northernladuk]

And currently, a supplier I work with has been angling for my job and making his case to my boss via email. Obviously never crossed his mind that my boss would forward to me.

I hate this, I mean when it is done unintentionally. The weird thing is the higher up the chain of command the more chance you have of them not bothering to read the whole mail and just do the managerial forward and delegate. Normally delegated to the person that is being named and shamed at the bottom of the mail.

[Freamon]

Ok, even I've done it. Instead of a FW, I've used a RE and sent a critical email to the recipient of said criticism instead of the PM. While it wasn't insulting and he wasn't named, he is the head of area. I was going to deal with the situation in a more diplomatic manner in a meeting tomorrow.

How do I best tackle this faux pas? Apologise for it? I can't, I meant it. Brazen it out with a grin?

My advice would be that, when starting your next contract (i.e. next Monday fingers crossed), invest time early on in gaining administrative access to the email system, for precisely these types of situations.