Wordy Wednesday: Do You Correct a Coworkers' Grammar?

Last night I had a moment before my evening Zumba class to flip through the March 2013 issue of the Ladies Home Journal that was in the Provo Recreation Center's community area.

The "You Are the Answer Lady" section caught my eye, and I found a question about grammar and writing in the workplace. Whup! That's right up my alley.

Here's the question: "Some of my coworkers' emails are full of poor grammar, misspellings and cheesy emoticons. I'm worried it will affect our client's perception of my company, but I'm not their boss so I feel like I can't say anything. Should I?"

I think this is a great question, and it brings up a touchy subject. As much as I personally value formal and proper workplace writing, I don't want to be (and am not) one of those red-pen editors that we all somewhat despise. (I'm right, right?)

If I were to respond to this person, I think I'd advise her to not correct the coworkers directly (that could seem like a personal attack), but instead mention the general concern (try not to target anyone) to a supervisor and suggest a training. My answer is similar to the first one printed in the article.

In my own workplace experience, I've had several coworkers recognize that I have the writing and editing experience that they lack. They actually reach out to me and ask me to proofread and edit emails and other materials—big, small, and insignificant—before they finish. I'm happy to help and will always explain why I made certain changes. This is a great situation because I get to help and train others without creating potentially uncomfortable situations.

Question: What are your thoughts? What would you do?