What's worse than an inbox packed with emails? How about getting follow-up emails about those emails?
Adobe recently surveyed more than 1,000 white-collar workers to learn more about email trends -- and the email phrases people hate most. "Not sure if you saw my last email…" was voted no. 1.
The phrases "Per my last email" and "Per our conversation" came in second and third. These phrases, while less reviled, are no less problematic, Kristin Naragon, Adobe's director of email solutions, tells CNBC Make It.
Communicating electronically is easy and fast, says Naragon, but not always elegant. "Emotion and intent are sometimes hard to convey via email, so [some phrases] can negatively impact productivity and culture."
Given that 70 percent of Americans prefer to use email to communicate with their coworkers, knowing which phrases to avoid may help make your workday a bit less stressful.
Simple, seemingly ordinary workplaces phrases can be surprisingly charged, says Naragon. Even important projects can be put at risk if the words used to discuss are perceived as judgmental or even passive aggressive.
"Your colleagues could choose not to respond out of frustration," Naragon says. "This can damage relationships and ultimately, morale."
Though this is Adobe's fourth annual Consumer Email Survey report, for which over 1,000 white-collar workers of all age groups older than 18 were polled, this is the first year the firm asked people annoying phrases.
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