A recent study of the the emails within the Lehman Brother‘s organization revealed that a number of phrases within their emails that “helped” investigators flag information and content that uncovered some “bad dealings” within the org.

Fantastic strategy, if I do say so myself.

Here’s a list of the some of the words they excavated:

• huge mistake
• big mistake
• dumb
• can’t believe
• cannot believe
• serious trouble
• big trouble
• unsalvageable
• shocked
• speechless

Yikes.

I would have to imagine that most ministries will not have to ever go through something like the Lehman Brother’s collapse and result in an audit of their inter-office email conversations but it make me stop and think for a second on how I handle some of my own personal conversations.

I think, at the very least, it reminded me that more than a few conversations that I would naturally use email for would probably be better handled in person or on the phone.

Of course, you don’t use these words to describe your ministry and leadership anyway, right?