Dear Mr. Helmsley: We have a problem. The other day I saw one of my coworkers loading boxes into the trunk of her car. I offered to help because I thought she was taking work home.
The lid slipped off one of the boxes, and I realized it was full of photocopied plans from our latest prototype. She’s not on the development team, so there’s no reason she should have these documents. I’m not sure what, if anything, I should do about this.
Before sending the message, it occurs to you that your e-mail will probably be forwarded to the legal team.
What will you need to change to make the message appropriate for both your supervisor and the legal team?
a. Make the message more expressive to show your outrage.
b. Give more specific information, including dates and names.
c. Make the message friendlier and use positive language.