Responding Tips to Angry Boss Emails
Can you imagine how beautiful everything would be if our email inboxes always overflowed with happy messages, praises, and warm compliments? Unfortunately, this is far from reality, particularly if you are a professional who deals with clients.
In the real world, most of us must deal with various correspondences, including junk mail, client messages, and responses from prospects. Moreover, things can getworse if we find ourselves on the receiving end and have to respond to a stinging email from the boss. It is even worse if we have to do so on short notice.
Undoubtedly, email communication still ranks as some of the most widely used means of workplace messaging. Thus, workers need to learn how to use it professionally.
Keep this in mind; the way you respond to workplace situations, especially explosive ones, can considerably affect your career, either positively or negatively. Indeed, the skill of answering workplace correspondence is mostlyan art. Countering an angry email may also be called a science.
It is easy to find ourselves on these crossroads. Happily, we can take specific practical steps to deal wisely with these situations:
Be Decisive
You may agree that whenever we have to answer an angry correspondence from a coworker, boss, or client, such experience is never pleasant. It can be a challenge to determine how to react.
A barrage of questions may already be ringing in our minds: Should we respond through the line supervisor? Do we ignore the angry tirade? Should we cow under the desk and wait for things to take a natural course? Or, should we pick up courage and face the boss directly? Take the bull by the horn and decide.
Avoid Impulsive Reactions
One of the most significant advantages of using email is that you don’t have to answer the moment you get the message. Many times you can afford the luxury of taking your sweet time to respond, whether this means minutes or hours. Walk away from the desk, let your mind cool, grab a glass of water.
By all means, avoid falling into the trap of a knee-jerk reaction.
Yes,take a little time to reread the stinging email from your boss. Did you get everything right? Is the tone really as hostile as it sounded when you first read it? Take care not to respond right away. Yes, do not start clicking on the keyboard to message back at once.
Most probably, your boss, client, or colleague allowedraw emotions to dictate what he wrote and dispatched. Is itwise for you to repeat the same mistake? Isn’t itmore prudent to take some break and allow tempers to cool?
It certainly is. Thishelps you manage the situation.
Examine Your Motives
Now that you feel you are soberer and can reason clearly, it’s time to have a candid conversation with your inner self regarding the merits and demerits of the case at hand.
Was your own angry reaction to the scathing email justified? Is it possible that you actually made a costly mistake that set the boss flying off with this fiery, emotional onslaught? Could it be that the boss was disturbed about unrelated issues when she vented her frustrations off using the seething email? Is it possible she has now cooled off and can reason more clearly on the matter?
Keep in mind that the workplace can needlessly turn into an explosive minefield. Once you know the circumstances that fueled the scorching message, you will be in a better position to react more objectively. You can determine whether you need to craft an apology letter, whether it is best to confront the boss with the facts and details of the matter, or whether you need the help of a colleague to put off the fires.
Keep the Response Brief
As noted, your initial interpretation of the boss’s intentions with the email may be wrong. In sending a response, keep the message brief and concise. Avoid the temptation to dispatch a veiled reaction based on what you think the boss meant. The email should be designed to carry a compact message.
This does not mean that you should send a one-sentence-reply. It means if the boss criticized your presentation and demanded proof of statistics, you should respond by offering the stats instead of defending your own credentials. Thus, there is a higher chance that your boss will understand the facts.
Craft a Professional Response
Dare to re-examine your own emotions.
Are your emotional reactions an indication that you are reading too much between the lines? Many times, when people deal with deeply emotional emails, they are prone to feel the frustration and anger of the sender radiating through.
It is easy, initially, to feel that the strong email contains much more than it actually does. Thus, it would be best if you were brutally honest with yourself. Do not guess what the boss meant when he sent the email. It may not be wise to judge other’s intentions through the prism of flawed thinking, basing on a few printed sentences. Thus, do not jump conclusions. Take time, instead, to craft a professional response.
Ask Questions
It may be wise to ask your boss a few practical questions:
“What can remedial action is necessary? Could you suggest a way forward?” This encourages your superior to contribute thoughtfully to the solution. It shows you respect his position. It dissuades him from berating or belittling your efforts. Thus, when crafting the email, lace it with a few thoughtful questions.
Seek a Colleague’s Intervention
Is your email confidential? If it is not strictly confidential, consider seeking help from a trusted coworker on the best way to handle the matter. It might be that a colleague knows just how best to handle the boss when he’s angry or irritated. It could be that the line manager can help you devise the best approach to dealing with the emotions of a confused client. Who knows, your immediate supervisor probably knows the angry party personally and can help cool things down.
Either way, avoid responding emotionally whenever the boss dispatches a seemingly scathing email. Remember that, often, such email messages may reflect a fleeting feeling of confusion, dissatisfaction, or disappointment from the other party.
Always assume that the present email was not meant to be personal. Thus, never let the tone of a seemingly enraged email message from your boss derail you from carrying out your duties. Instead, take time to cool down and determine the most practical approach to the prevailing situation.
Consider Meeting the Boss
Emails are undoubtedly convenient. This does not mean that it is always the perfect channel of communication. Of course, you may think it easier to reply to the boss’s email by sending a counter-response rather than facing him one-on-one.
Regardless, depending on circumstances, is it better to set up a face-to-face meeting instead of replying by email? Is it necessary to involve your supervisor? Which method will cause the best outcome? Weigh all options. Take time to decide on the perfect approach.
Yes, whenever your boss sends you a disturbing email, make sure you remain undisturbed. Act calm and craft a respectful and professional response. This will work best to promote your career interests.
Clearly, this is a guaranteed win-win option for you and your boss.