Soft Skills Guide to Effective Communications
Soft Skills Subject: Business Communications
Avoid these 5 phrases that make you sound passive aggressive
Today, we live in a world where business, degrees and even entire relationships are conducted behind a screen. As a result, employee frustration and miscommunication is at an all-time high, with tone alone being misinterpreted almost half of the time in email, leading to endless wasted hours and heightened anxiety.
For better or worse, digital communications (as a soft skill), whether through email or direct messages on platforms like Slack, do not let us see each other’s immediate reactions — which is why we look for ways to “politely” express irritation. The key word is “politely,” but it isn’t always interpreted that way.
So let’s take a look at the five most common phrases employees use that actually make them passive aggressive and petty.
- “Per my last email…”
- “For future reference…”
- “Bumping this to the top of your inbox…”
- “Just to be sure we’re on the same page…”
- “Going forward…”
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