If you work in an office, you will no doubt write and send a plethora of emails every day. Whether that’s to your colleagues, your boss, or your clients, however, will probably determine the tone of voice used.
Although companies are becoming increasingly tolerant of e-mailing amongst co-workers, it seems your co-workers may not be so sold on the idea.
Why?
Well, a poll conducted on behalf of Staples found that we Brits are an intolerant bunch, even when it comes to light-hearted internal communication.
To avoid falling out of favour with your colleagues, check out the following guidelines:
No Over-Friendliness
Two thirds of people quizzed indicated that they found kisses on work e-mails irritating, and almost half objected to being referred to using terms of endearment, such as ‘honey’ or ‘dear’.
But even if you tone down the love, the UK’s paw-faced workforce still isn’t happy… smiley faces are another big no-no, with nearly 50% of people reporting that they found emoticons inappropriate.
In addition, almost 30% of people asked said they objected to cheesy e-mail greetings like “happy Friday”, whilst nearly 20% were unimpressed by their colleagues merely inquiring about weekend plans.
NO SHOUTING
Capital letters are often perceived as ‘shouty’ and give off the wrong tone, as well as making you seem like a bit of a novice.
Also, messages written in all capitals are harder to read, as words lose their shape in a block of text because they’re all the same height.
Keep Check on Grammar
A considerable 65% of workers said spelling or grammatical errors made in emails made them think that the sender was shoddy.
And abbreviations, such as ‘OMG’ and ‘LOL’, don’t go down well either, with 50% of people reporting that they find this habit infuriating.
So…
If you want to be invited to the Christmas party this year: polish your grammar, use smiley faces sparingly, and –most importantly – lay off the kisses.
If you’re looking for office space, visit OfficialSpace.co.uk.
Tags: communications, computers, email, find office space, internet, Office Space, official space