There's a scene in the Harrison Ford movie "Clear and Present Danger" where Jack Ryan rushes to print off a secret e-mail record of a covert operation in Latin America while his CIA adversary in the next room is deleting the files. Ryan prints the crucial e-mail and tells his rival, "You're going to jail, pal," only to be confronted with his rival's "get out of jail" e-mail in his vault.

E-mail is powerful - for good or bad. And it's integral to our work life. But we've all seen e-mail abused: Someone gets upset and begins an e-mail rant about the boss or another colleague. The e-mail gets copied to the boss.

It's a law of human physics that every action results in an equal and opposite reaction. The e-mail war begins. The responses go back and forth. Others get copied. The tension rises.

Words that may be harmless when spoken become bullets when written. The war can escalate with a "cc: to the world". Lines are drawn, positions harden and the complaint goes unresolved.

As in all wars, the human costs are significant. Yet the e-mail warriors march on, finding other issues to fight over. And the workplace culture goes negative.

Why the e-mail wars?

What purpose can they possibly serve?

It's strange. I've seen people who sit in cubes 20 feet away from each other conduct these wars. Perhaps it's just easier to launch a missile from the privacy of one's cube/office than it is to go face-to-face with the adversary. E-mail wars are usually not about the issues. Instead, they're about:

• Hurt feelings. People react rashly because they are angry or upset about something that has happened to them - something they see as unjust.

• Ego and control. Those with strong egos or control needs can drive their points home without having to face the consequences - not immediately, at least.

• Fear. People want documentation of events to protect one's job.

• Vengeance. Sometimes it's just about retribution.

E-mail is private. We don't have to see the others' faces when the grenades get lobbed. People think they can get away with it.

Ending the wars: Don't press ‘send' - talk to people

We can end the wars and the productivity and business costs associated with them. All we need is:

• Leadership. At the end of the day, it's leadership's job to set a clear cultural tone and direction for the workplace and to establish boundaries for what is and is not acceptable behavior.

• Team operating agreements. Teams can ensure civility by creating a set of agreements about how they will work together - specifically, addressing their communications and e-mail policies - and then holding each team member accountable for following those guidelines.

• Individual direct dealings. Individuals can end the wars simply by getting up out of their chairs and going face-to-face with the individual who has upset them. This takes courage to face our fears.

Ending e-mail warfare is a conscious choice for any of us. At the end of the day, just don't press the "send" button.

Edward Marshall can be reached at marshalle@ccl.org or 919-265-9616.