The 9 Most-Annoying Phrases to Include in an Email Convey the *Same* Passive-Aggressive Message
Researchers collected data for about a week in June via an online survey from Adobe and got intel from 1,001 participants mainly between 25 and 64 years old. They found that ultimately, nine very specific phrases are much more annoying in emails than others—and basically all of them are passive-aggressive ways to let someone know they're not doing their job very well. (So, yeah, there's a very strong chance being on the receiving end might lead to a cortisol spike.)
Here are the 9 most annoying email phrases to avoid.
1. Not sure if you saw my last email...
2. Per my last email
3. Per our conversation/discussion
4. Any updates on this?
5. Sorry for the double email
6. Please advise.
7. As previously stated...
8. As discussed
9. Re-attaching for convenience
If you cringed (perhaps multiple times) while making your way down the list, obviously you're not alone. While the knowledge of the news might not rid the rude-phrase-peddling pests from your life for good (you can't always pick your coworkers and bosses, after all), at least you'll be better equipped to deal with 'em when they strike.
And who knows? Maybe you'll even get lucky and that certain toxic someone from your office will come across this list as well and change their ways. A girl can dream, right?
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