Ever sent off an angry email to a colleague and wished you hadn’t?
As we all know, whatever we put in writing can be held against us, and it’s not smart, these days especially, to put anything emotionally charged that might ultimately haunt our careers.

1. Save everything you write as a draft first, and never put the peson’s email address in the “to” column until after you’ve read over your writing.
2. Avoid all colloquialisms, metaphors, cliches, and any phrase that could be misinterpreted.
3. Let it sit before you send it.
4. Decide what goes in and what goes out. Is there anything in this email I might some day be held accountable for? Literally, go over every phrase and word.
4. Avoid words like “need,” “should”, “can’t” and “you.”
5. Let your grandmother read it before you send it.
6. Check and see all the famous people whose emails have virtually ruined their careers. Good piece of advice? Whatever you think you might get away with, think again. Keep fiction out of the email.
7. When in doubt, leave it out.