Should you click Forward or Reply?

In this world of email and social networking a click of a mouse can make all the difference.

A funny thing happened to me at the office last week.  It's been busy at my office this past week or so.  Maybe you noticed because I've been kind of MIA, but actual work trumps blogging in my book.  Anyway, I've been busy.  Sometimes when I'm busy I make a mistake or two.  I know this is not an easy thing for you to believe, but it's true.  Let me tell you about one of my tiny, infinitesimally small boo-boos.

Last Thursday I was getting ready for three, count 'em, THREE huge meetings on campus.  These meetings were jam packed with faculty, staff, trustees and students.  Lots of people and some very important people.  So, Thursday, toward the end of the day, I was culling through my boss's inbox and cleaning out the crap.  Suddenly it occurred to me that I had seen a report on my desk from my old friend Sleeping Beauty.  He had asked me to get my boss's signature on the cover page.  I had glanced at it and noticed that the form he used to write said letter was nothing like the form we use here.  I wrote him a quick email requesting him to peruse the style guide we use and gave him the link to its webpage.  One tiny thing that I don't usually do, but is really no big deal, was that I sent this email from my boss's inbox.  Thus the email was sent from HappyGirl on behalf of HappyGirl's boss, Mr. Non-confrontational.  I wasn't trying to be deceptive.  I just didn't notice whose email box I was using.  (we just switched to gmail from outlook.  not an easy transition.)

Evidently this email elicited a tremendous rant from Sleeping Beauty.  He wrote a long, LONG email whining about how hard it is to fit in down here.  He asks people for help and nobody ever helps him.  He asks his boss, Mr. Non-confrontational, for help and he can't even get help from him.  Our boss is so unhelpful.  He doesn't care about him or the work he does at all.  The only person that ever helped him is the guy that just quit and now he doesn't have ANYBODY to help him.  (wait a second.  isn't this guy replying to an email offering him some assistance?)  He's not done whining just yet.  He continues on with the rant, saying that his boss is pressuring him to write a report.  Even though he is being pressured to write this report, he continues to say that he doesn't think Mr. Non-confrontational really wants the report.  He is only asking for it because Sleeping Beauty says its important.  (i'm confused, too, btw)  He goes on to complain that our boss doesn't really want anything in writing, but because Sleeping Beauty knows everything about everything (so why does he need so much help?) he has convinced him it is important to have official documentation of everything.  The bottom line is that he believes our boss doesn't want to keep official records.  He believes our boss wants to hide any shortfalls that would show up in an official report.  His rational for all of this is that he was #18 in a major federal department on Capitol Hill and worked for the federal government for 25 years.  (and we all know how difficult it is to keep a federal job once you get one, don't we.  btw, this was sarcasm.  just sayin')  Oh yeah, then he thanked me for all my help.  :)

I didn't actually get to see this long rant/reply to my email on Thursday afternoon, even though that is when it was sent.  Hmmm?

I did get to see the reply to this email from my boss on Friday morning. He copied me.  Yes, it appears that Sleeping Beauty does not understand how email works.  Even though the email was from me, I had sent it through my boss's account.  Thus, when Sleeping Beauty REPLIED to the email it went to... wait for it... my boss.

So, on Friday morning I read this email from my boss.

"Sleeping Beauty, did you intend for this email to go to HappyGirl or to me?  Regardless, we should talk..."

And so they did.  Fingers crossed, Sleeping Beauty may not be my antagonist much longer.  :)

123.  Whew, finally a day without so much to do
124.  I'm off crutches and beginning to feel better
125.  Nobody is perfect (I am super grateful that this is true)
126.  A weekend full of delicious food (and now to pay the piper)
127.  Thinking about what play to see in NYC
128.  Having lunch with an old friend.  I would love to re-invigorate this friendship
129.  Being back on the blog  :)