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Before you hit send on your next email, pause for a minute. If youre like the average employee, you draft 112 emails a week, spending about five and a half minutes writing each one, according to this survey by Slack. If your messages go ignored or if the recipient requests clarification, you might want to consider how youre showing up in their inbox. Professionalism in email communication is important, says Dr. Laurie Cure, CEO of Innovative Connections, an executive coaching and HR consultant. Ultimately, we want our communication to reflect who we are, but more importantly, we want people to hear what we are saying, she says. When they are lost in poor text, grammar errors, emojis that they do not understand, or a confusing message, we are left with misunderstandings that damage our reputation and credibility. It also requires more time to unravel and clarify messages that were not received as intended. Whether you realize it or not, youre going to be judged by how you communicateincluding your emails. Here are seven common mistakes that can make you look unprofessional. 1. You Get the Recipient’s Name Wrong While it sounds basic, you start off on the wrong foot if you get the recipients name wrong. Unfortunately, it happens all the time, says Alexa Rome, director of PR and Communications at Omnus Technologies, provider of IT support. I’ve lost count of how often someone calls me Alex, even though my email address and signature say Alexa, she says. It signals you didn’t take two seconds to double-check the name of the person you’re contacting. It feels impersonal, like you couldn’t be bothered to take the time to learn my name. Trust drops instantly. Even if you enter someones name right, autocorrect might step in and change it, especially if the name is unique. Before hitting send, take a second to be sure the name is right. 2. You Use Unprofessional Language If you regularly start business emails with Hey or end them with Thx, you could be inadvertently sending a signal that youre casual about work, says communication coach Judnefera Rasayon. If youre seen as someone who doesnt take the job seriously, that could damage your reputation and hurt your prospects for advancement, she says. It could potentially cost you and your company clients and revenue. Elise Powers, CEO of Eleview Consulting, a communications training firm, agrees. Don’t start with Hey, she says. It’s too informal for email and reads like a text message. Hi, Hello, or Good Morning are more professional. Also, skip the emojis in email, even if you’re emailing a peer or work best friend, adds Powers. You never know if your email will be forwarded on down the line and a senior leader might see the emojis and think, This person is immature or too casual in their correspondence, she says. 3. You Ramble Every email should be skimmable, synthesized, and concise, says Powers. She recommends using bullet points, bolding, and brief paragraphs to make it easy for the recipient to quickly read your message. There shouldn’t be long blocks of text, she says. It takes more time to write a skimmable, concise email, and it’s a simple way to add value to someone else. Rasayon suggests having a clear point in mind before you start writing your email instead of rambling off the top of your head. Unclear requests, deadlines, or instructions could result in people not reading or replying. 4. You Reply All Before you hit reply all on an email that includes a lot of people, make sure everyone on the thread really needs to read what you have to say. Otherwise, youre adding to the dozens of emails filling up their inboxes. I’m shocked by how many people don’t get this, says Rome. You should almost never ‘reply all,’ unless every person on the thread truly needs your response. (Spoiler: they usually don’t.) It makes you seem unaware and oblivious of how communication actually works. 5. You Over-Apologize If you started your email by saying, Sorry for the delay” or “Sorry for the long email,” go back and delete those phrases. While saying sorry in and of itself is not unprofessional, its unnecessary, says Rome. Not [saying sorry] does make you more professional, she says. Instead, say, Thanks for your patience, or say what you need to say. Period. Apologizing is more common with women, adds Rome. If a man wouldn’t apologize for it, you probably don’t need to either, she says. You’re allowed to communicate without disclaimers. 6. You Take Too Long to Respond No one likes to wait for days to get a response to an email, says Rasayon. A response doesnt have to be a complete response, she says. It could be an interim reply that doesnt provide a complete answer, but acknowledges that youve seen their message, started the process of getting them an answer, and will follow up once you have one. Not responding in a timely way can send a message that youre not on top of your work, that you ignored the email, or that you dont view the contents of the email as important, says Rasayon. 7. You Respond Too Quickly On the flip side of responding too slowly is responding too quickly. Were all busy, and you likely work in a fast-paced environment. That isnt an excuse to fire off quick messages. One of the challenges with the written word is its lack of nonverbal cues, says Cure. Ambiguous language and reader assumptions make email communicaton particularly challenging, she says. Drafting an important email should take time, and Cure recommends creating a first draft, and then going back to reread them with fresh eyes to ensure they communicate what you desire. Just today, I met with a leader who was voice texting and did not turn off the speaker, she says. They ended up sending an entire second conversation to the recipient. While AI can help you tighten your message, it can make you sound like a robot, says Rome. We’re still humans emailing humans, she says. If your email doesn’t sound like something you’d say out loud, revise it.
Category:
E-Commerce
Microsoft has been one of OpenAIs biggest backers over the past three years, as OpenAIs flagship product, ChatGPT, has steadily embedded itself into our lives. But the multibillion-dollar relationship now appears to be on shaky ground, with rumors that OpenAI might file an antitrust complaint against the Windows-maker in an attempt to wriggle out of a longstanding agreement between the two companies. The relationship, which began with Microsofts $1 billion investment in OpenAI in 2019and has since grown to include more than $10 billion in total fundingis built on Microsofts entitlement to 49% of OpenAI Global LLCs profits, capped at roughly 10 times its investment. For years, the partnership has remained stable. When Sam Altman was briefly ousted as OpenAI CEO in November 2023, Microsoft remained steadfast in its support of the company. But recent events appear to have strained the relationshipspecifically, a new deal OpenAI has made. Whats happening? OpenAIs pending acquisition of AI coding startup Windsurfvalued at $3 billionhas pushed its partnership with Microsoft to the brink. Reports suggest that OpenAI executives have threatened an antitrust complaint if Microsoft insists on full access to Windsurfs intellectual property after the deal closes. At the same time, Microsoft is reportedly uneasy about the prospect of OpenAI developing a competing Copilot product. The two companies did issue a joint statement that conveyed a sense of harmony, though it acknowledged no agreement had been reached regarding Windsurf. We have a long-term, productive partnership that has delivered amazing AI tools for everyone, the companies said. Talks are ongoing and we are optimistic we will continue to build together for years to come. Experts warn that OpenAI should think twice before following through on its reported threats. Siccing the antitrust cops on your rivals may feel very satisfying, but that strategy usually boomerangs back on the complaining company when they themselves get big and successful, says Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of the Chamber of Progress, a tech industry coalition. Kovacevich argues that such internal disputes may grab headlines but ultimately distract from the broader goals. OpenAI and Microsoft are locked in a pretty intense AI competition with Google, Anthropic, and Meta, and these kind of governance disputes are ultimately a huge distraction from trying to win on the technology front, he says. Which Side Has More Leverage? An internal OpenAI strategy document, recently surfaced in a court case, reveals the companys bold plan to evolve ChatGPT from a popular chatbot into an all-encompassing AI super assistant, positioning it as both a crucial partner and a potential competitor to Microsoft. The document implicitly acknowledges OpenAIs reliance on partners to achieve massive scale, noting the infrastructure required to serve an enormous user base. Until January 2025, Microsoft was OpenAIs exclusive data center provider, in exchange for integrating OpenAIs models into Microsofts products, including Copilot. Since then, the landscape has shifted. OpenAI has signed deals with CoreWeave and Oracle for additional computing capacity, and is reportedly close to an agreement with Googledespite Google offering a competing AI modelfor cloud hosting. Meanwhile, Microsoft still holds a significant share in OpenAIs future profits. There are reports that OpenAI has proposed a deal to exchange Microsofts entitlement to future profits for a 33% stake in a restructured OpenAI. But Microsoft currently retains significant control over whether OpenAI can restructure and, under a 2023 agreement, is also believed to be entitled to access any OpenAI technology, including that acquired through acquisitionspotentially giving Microsoft access to Windsurfs technology for its Copilot coding tools. Whats the best-case scenario for both companies? For Microsoft, maintaining the status quo would likely be ideal. They would continue to access OpenAIs core technology, and benefit from Windsurfs specialist expertise to strengthen Copilots coding capabilities. For OpenAI, the best-case outcome would involve restructuring into a for-profit entity with Microsofts consent, while establishing boundaries to prevent Microsoft from encroaching on areas where OpenAI might eventually compete. OpenAI would also like to diversify its infrastructure partnershaving admitted in legal documents that our current infrastructure isnt equipped to handle [redacted] users. And, perhaps most importantly, OpenAI wants its product to stand on its ownrather than being buried within a Microsoft-branded ecosystem. Real choice drives competition and benefits everyone, the confidential strategy document states. Users should be able to pick their AI assistant. If youre on iOS, Android, or Windows, you should be able to set ChatGPT as your default. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta shouldnt push their own AIs without giving users fair alternatives. Whether OpenAI will achieve that goal remains an open question.
Category:
E-Commerce
An Illinois toy company challenged President Donald Trump’s tariffs in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a long shot bid to press the justices to quickly decide whether they are legal.Learning Resources Inc. filed an appeal asking the Supreme Court to take up the case soon rather than let it continue to play out in lower courts. The company argues the Republican president illegally imposed tariffs under an emergency powers law rather than getting approval from Congress.While the company won an early victory in a lower court, the order is on hold as an appeals court considers a similar ruling putting a broader block on Trump’s tariffs. The appeals court has allowed Trump to continue collecting tariffs under the emergency powers law ahead of arguments set for late July.The company argued in court documents the case can’t wait that long, “in light of the tariffs’ massive impact on virtually every business and consumer across the Nation, and the unremitting whiplash caused by the unfettered tariffing power the President claims.”The Supreme Court is typically reluctant to take up cases before appeals courts have decided them, lowering the odds that the justices will agree to hear it as quickly as the company is asking.Still, Learning Resources CEO Rick Woldenberg said tariffs and uncertainty are taking a major toll now. He’s looking ahead to the back-to-school and holiday seasons, when the company usually makes most of its sales for the year.“All the people that are raising their prices are doing it with a sense of dread,” Woldenberg told The Associated Press. But, “we do not have a choice. We absolutely do not have a choice.”Attorneys for Learning Resources and sister company hand2mind, suggested the court could consider whether to take up the case before the end of the term in June and hear arguments when their next term begins in the fall, a relatively quick timetable.The Trump administration has defended the tariffs by arguing that the emergency powers law gives the president the authority to regulate imports during national emergencies and that the country’s longtime trade deficit qualifies as a national emergency.Trump has framed tariffs as a tool to lure factories back to America, raise money for the Treasury Department and strike more favorable trade agreements with other countries.“The Trump administration is legally using the powers granted to the executive branch by the Constitution and Congress to address our country’s national emergencies of persistent goods trade deficits and drug trafficking. If the Supreme Court decides to hear this unfounded legal challenge, we look forward to ultimately prevailing,” said White House spokesperson Kush Desai.Woldenberg said he’s putting “enormous resources” into shifting his company’s supply base but the process is time-consuming and uncertain.“I think that our case raises uniquely important questions that this administration won’t accept unless the Supreme Court rules on them,” he said.Based in Vernon Hills, Illinois, the family-owned company’s products include the Pretend & Play Calculator Cash Register for $43.99 and Botley the Coding Robot for $57.99.__Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report. Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
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