Here’s a fantastic read from Nikki Waller, a Wall Street Journal reporter, who spent a month avoiding exclamation points in her emails. (I’m know I’m guilty of using — and perhaps overusing — those !!!’s and :-)’s in my emails, but they do such a good job of communicating tone!)
In the piece, Waller writes:
“Not using exclamation points felt somewhat less than authentic for me. I’m enthusiastic by nature, and when some long-running projects hit rough patches during the month, I suspected warmer, more chirpy messages would have lightened up some requests. Then again, I liked not having to apologize for asking people to get things done. When a new manager joined a team that works closely with mine, I worried my pleasant though clipped emails gave the impression that I was clinically depressed or at best in need of coffee.”
Give the whole thing a read. It’s a great way to think about the way we communicate at work.
>> She’s Not Mad. She’s Just Not Using Exclamation Points. | Wall Street Journal