"Writing Reader-Centered Correspondence: Letters, Memos, and E-mail,"
Original document: I have been reviewing the “errors” in the computer files.
Contrary to what you insinuated in our meeting, the majority of these errors were made by your clerks. I do not feel that my people should be blamed for this. They are correctly copying the faulty time tickets that your clerks are preparing.
You and I discussed requiring my computer operators to perform the very time-consuming task of comparing their entries against the time sheets from which your clerks are miscopying.
My people do not have the time to correct the errors made by your people, and I will not hire additional help for such work.
I recommend that you tell your clerks to review their work carefully before giving it to the computer operators.
Contrary to what you insinuated in our meeting, the majority of these errors were made by your clerks. I do not feel that my people should be blamed for this. They are correctly copying the faulty time tickets that your clerks are preparing.
You and I discussed requiring my computer operators to perform the very time-consuming task of comparing their entries against the time sheets from which your clerks are miscopying.
My people do not have the time to correct the errors made by your people, and I will not hire additional help for such work.
I recommend that you tell your clerks to review their work carefully before giving it to the computer operators.
Dear Mr. Leoni,
Hello, I have written this e-mail to address the topic that was brought up in the meeting. I have come across some errors in the computer files. We should reevaluate the files in a sense in order to find out where the errors are coming from and fix them. After carefully assessing the work of my clerks I have come to the conclusion that my crew’s work is accurate. I would recommend that all files should be carefully reviewed before sending the files to the computer operators to cut down on extra work. I think this will stop the inaccuracy of the computer files. I would greatly appreciate it if we can put this plan into effect.
Thanks,
Donald Pryzblo
Manager
Data Processing Department
This email seems a little bit harsh in the context that it is written in. It seems like Leoni is blaming the other clerks. This is not the way to talk to an employee. In order to reach an employee you should not blame them personally. You should make it seem like it is a company or collective problem versus blaming and employee personally. Usually they will respond much better. He also makes it seem like his clerks are better than Mr. Pryblo’s when he states that his employee’s do not have the time to correct the errors made. He should never make another employee feel low. He seems to be overusing his rank as a boss and this would not an effective way to get an employee to do something for you. The effectiveness in the email is determined by the tone or mood that the writer illustrates with.