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Work emails, texting and DMs: How you can avoid saying the wrong thing at work

Emailing, messaging and DMs can lead to miscommunication

ORLANDO, FL (Ivanhoe Newswire) – For most of us, the majority of daily work communication happens through emails.

In fact, a recent poll found the average office worker receives around 121 emails every day. They send about 40 each day.

With virtual communication at an all-time high, emailing, messaging and DMs can lead to miscommunication.

A recent study from wordfinder found out what Gen Z and millennials really think you’re saying in your emails.

For instance, ā€œper my last emailā€ reads to them as ā€œwhy didn’t you read it the first time.ā€ ā€œHope this helps,ā€ means to ā€œnever ask for anything again.ā€

ā€œThank you for your feedback,ā€ is like saying ā€œyour criticism is totally incorrect.ā€

Other passive-aggressive phrases are ā€œjust to clarify,ā€ ā€œjust circling back,ā€ ā€œas previously discussed,ā€ ā€œthanks for the input,ā€ ā€œjust a few things,ā€ ā€œa friendly reminder,ā€ and ā€œat your earliest convenience.ā€

Younger workers say these messages sound aggressive, condescending and rude. 

HR experts say there are some preemptive steps you can take to make sure your intent is understood.

First, decide if the topic is better suited for face-to-face conversation. If your message is one that can be relayed over email, re-read the words, and think about tone and potential reception.

CV maker conducted a poll of over 4,500 people asking them what the most annoying corporate buzzword or phrase is. The word synergy, which means increased effectiveness through collaboration, ranked number one. Other hated corporate words are transparency, make it happen, onboarding, and takeaway.

Sources: https://www.templafy.com/blog/how-many-emails-are-sent-every-day-top-email-statistics-your-business-needs-to-know/; https://www.fastcompany.com/90796933/these-are-the-top-10-most-passive-aggressive-phrases-youre-probably-using-in-email; https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/19/these-phrases-make-you-sound-passive-aggressive-in-the-workplace.html; https://www.fastcompany.com/90796933/these-are-the-top-10-most-passive-aggressive-phrases-youre-probably-using-in-email; https://www.fastcompany.com/90796933/these-are-the-top-10-most-passive-aggressive-phrases-youre-probably-using-in-email; https://www.fastcompany.com/90796933/these-are-the-top-10-most-passive-aggressive-phrases-youre-probably-using-in-email; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11386377/The-annoying-office-jargon-revealed-synergy-circle-back.html

Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor. To receive a free weekly email on Smart Living from Ivanhoe, sign up at http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk.