Greetings and Salutations
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Tips and Tricks
Greetings and Salutations
Communicating is all about building relationships and trust.
As it turns out, one of our primary methods of communicating—by email—can have a significant impact on our perception of workplace
satisfaction, company culture, and well-being.
Studies of workplace emails have shown that the use of greetings and closings (i.e., “Good morning, Jim,” or “Talk to you later”) contribute to a greater sense of connection and culture versus emails that simply “get to the point” (i.e., “When will that brief be done?” or “The meeting is at 3:00 in the large conference room”). Greetings and closings are equally as important to connecting with clients and opposing counsel and setting the tone for ongoing relationships.
While we’re tempted to be brief for efficiency's sake, consider carefully the next email you send to a colleague or someone outside of the office—treat it like a face-to-face communication and take the time to acknowledge the person. You might be surprised at how it changes the relationship dynamic and decreases tension or conflict. (Also, proofread before hitting the send button, because nothing distracts from a lovely greeting like a ghastly typo or two.)
This Wellness Tip was brought to you by the Quality of Life Subcommittee of the Primerus Quality Assurance Board and Featured Contributor Nicole Quintana. We also welcome your tips, which can be submitted to Paige Neirman at pneirman@primerus.com for publication consideration.