I did something really super embarrassing at work today. I sent an email meant for one person to an entire group of people. It wasn't just a matter of replying to the group instead of to the sender, I actually initiated the message chain and manually typed the wrong address in the To: field. When I realized my mistake my face and neck instantly burned from turning red with embarrassment. I didn't get reprimanded, although I've beaten myself up enough about it that no external punishment short of torture would compare.
So, what's your most embarrassing work story?
9 comments:
This is my greatest work fear.
Once I called a fellow manager an idiot when talking on the phone to someone else. He was standing outside my office and heard. He ran to our boss and taddled. I had to apologize (I'm sorry you heard me say you were an idiot. [He didn't get it.]) He is no longer with the company. he got fired because he was an idiot.
Wait a sec, you're not off the hook that easily... what was the content of the email that was embarrassingly sent to multiple recipients? Hmmmmmm?
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To: [Entire World mailing list]
From: Poppy
Dear [co-worker],
[My boss] would like me to send a message to [Entire World mailing list] explaining that there was a problem with [something technical] that is now fixed. I would like you to approve the wording.
[Direct quotes from boss, sent to me in cofidence, inserted here that explain why the message should be sent to the Entire World mailing list.]
I know this makes you unhappy. Sorry.
Signed,
Poppy
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Immediately after I sent the message and realized what I had done I sent a follow-up message letting folks know that I saw my error, apologies, and at least they now had the information. Right? Heh.
It doesn't seem so bad from a third person perspective, but it didn't feel good at the time. I received MANY messages in response.
Once I sent an email to a client and I meant to say "I apologize for any inconvenience", but I spelled "inconvenience" wrong. So spell checker changed it to incontience and I didn't catch it until it was waaaay too late.
DLil - Ha! That's why I don't use spell check! Which...is why I misspelled confidence as cofidence in my comment. :P to me.
I can top your email story. I inadvertantly forwarded a long email exchange with my ex-husband, in which we were having a very personal fight, to all the Division Deans and half the computer lab staff at the college I work with. I was SOOOO embarrased.
Although, when I decided to divorce the bastard, none of those people seemed surprised ;)
Hmmm... it seems similar to what you did.
Ever the do-it-yourselfer... I snaked out my hair trap in my bath tub drain, and you would not BELIEVE the volume of hair and other "goop" I retrieved. I was so shocked at the volume of stuff I removed, I snapped a picture of it.
SO I'm at work, and they have that DREADED AUTO FILL feature in our email. And I attached my photo like a good little camper, and typed the first three letters of my gf's email, it auto filled, and I clicked send, mindlessly not double checking the auto fill.
Turns out I sent out my drain clumps/turds to a VIP within the agency I work.
Nothing came of it. He obviously opened it and disposed of it.
PS: Oh and another? I laughed at another VIP who decided to sign up for those Zone Meals to be delivered to his home to rid himself of 20 pesky vanity pounds. I broke it down for him how much it's costing per pound ($80), and laughed that he'd do better going to Weight Watchers.
Subtlety is not one of my finer points.
Hahahaaaa!
I did that once.
Only my reply went to all of my inlaws instead of the intended YM.
To this day, he still gets teased by his family...
But, unlike you. He deserves it...hahaa!!!!
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