Greetings, Salutations, and All That Jazz | Helpful Tips

People are passionate about many different things. For some people, music gets them going, and for others, activism fuels them. Education is the jolting factor for yet others, and architecture and engineering are that thing for others still. We all like, are drawn to and spurred on by different interests, and for some, maybe even callings.

Communicating well is one of those things for me. When someone communicates well – in a clear, concise, yet thorough enough and straightforward manner – with me, it rejuvenates me, takes a little pressure off of my seemingly constant need to focus intently, and relieves a little stress. It’s like a much needed breath of fresh air. And it leaves me feeling grateful.

You see, for someone who spends so much time in her head – analyzing, evaluating, thinking, solving dilemmas, prioritizing, editing, proofreading, etc. – any bit of pressure that is taken off of my mind is certainly welcome. And good communication definitely accomplishes that.

Poor communication (whether intentional and known or not), however, has the exact opposite effect, at least it does on me. It leaves me with more questions than I previously had (and not in a good way), causes me to experience unnecessary frustration, and delays the progression of whatever task, duty, or assignment is at hand. In other words, it stinks up the process and my headspace, leaving me to fight my way back to clarity and peace, which isn’t fun, especially when it’s brought about unnecessarily.

So, what brought this to mind today, you might ask? Simply receiving an email message from someone who didn’t include any sort of greeting (greetings are just a sign of respect) or salutation (salutations are a sign of respect too, as well as a result of logic – I mean, people should never be expected to just know who sent an email message solely because it came from a certain email address, especially when multiple people use the same email address or the sender of the message is not familiar to the recipient of the message). You might be surprised how many of those types of messages that I receive on a regular basis, and from different people. But then again, maybe you’re not surprised, because you’ve been receiving messages like that too.

I get it. We’re all busy and oftentimes focusing on many things or people at once, and it can be tempting to forego some basic formalities in order to shave off a few seconds of time from our tasks. And for others (let’s just be honest about it), it’s simply a matter of being lazy.

No matter the motive behind our choices, if we would consistently take the time to think “How would I feel and what would I think if I received this message like this? Would it be clear to me who sent the message and that they were being considerate?,” our communication would be all the more efficient and effective.

You might have other questions that you would ponder, and that is fine. Go with whatever works for you. But please take the time to include the basics in your message formatting. It will yield better results in the long run and might even have a positive effect on your relationships. After all, people don’t usually say “Man, I wish they didn’t communicate so well.” But when people don’t communicate well, it leaves a lasting impression, and not the good kind either.

So, take those few extra seconds to ensure that your greetings, salutations, and other key elements are included in your messages and let your words represent you well. Be blessed. #sanguinemango