Assume you just wrote the following e-mail message to a colleague about scheduling a meeting.
Dear Marilyn,
Thanks for lunch. I had a great time, and we accomplished a lot. Those pictures of your kids are adorable.
Listen, I wanted to see if we could schedule a meeting with the big boss for Friday to go over the survey plan we made at lunch. Could you try to set something up when you both are available? I can be free any time on Thursday or Friday. Those pictures of your kids are adorable.
Before sending the message, it occurs to you that your e-mail will probably be forwarded to your supervisor.
1. What will you need to change to make the message appropriate for both a colleague and your supervisor?
2. Make the message more formal, remove the personal discussion, and give more specifics about the survey plan.