The average person spends 23% of the workweek, or 9 hours, on email and chat. It’s even worse for knowledge workers, who spend 88% of their week communicating across multiple channels rather than doing focused work. No wonder messages can get rushed, misread or emotionally loaded.
With an influx of communication and most people feeling pressure to respond to emails quickly, four in five have dreaded opening their work inbox, two-thirds have lost sleep over work emails, and many more have gotten into trouble over an email mistake.
With so much time spent communicating via email every day, it can be tempting to resort to familiar templates and phrases on autopilot, even when some of them can quietly damage trust and culture.
Sending the email but removing the sting
When we feel ignored or frustrated, we often reach for familiar formulas. One analysis of 1,000,967 real work emails confirmed just how many inboxes are drowning in clichés.
‘Reaching out’ appeared 6,117 times, making it the reigning champion of corporate buzzwords, followed by variations of ‘follow up’ (5,755 mentions) and ‘check in’ (4,286).
‘Circle back’ shows up in 533 emails, alongside classics like ‘please advise’ and “hope you’re doing well / hope this email finds you well / hope all is well”.
Together, these phrases show up in nearly 25,000 emails, around 1 in every 50 messages, suggesting we default to safe language when we’re unsure what to say.
These seemingly harmless copy and paste phrases can also include the negative ones, blurring accountability and making already overloaded inboxes even harder to decode.
Phrases that can negatively impact culture
Just a friendly reminder
- Sounds like: You’ve dropped the ball.
- Alternative: “Hi [Name], just checking you saw my note on X. Can you let me know by [time]?”
As per my previous email
- Sounds like: I already told you this – why weren’t you paying attention?
- Alternative: “Re-sharing the details on X below for ease, shout if anything’s unclear.”
Circling back on this
- Sounds like: I’m chasing you, again.
- Alternative: “Quick follow-up on X – are you still happy to [next step]? If timings have changed, let me know.”
Per our conversation
- Sounds like: This is now on record.
- Alternative: “Great to speak earlier – here’s what we agreed and next steps so we’re on the same page.”
Please advise
- Sounds like: This is now your problem to solve.
- Alternative: “Here’s what’s happened with X. My recommendation is [option] – does that work, or would you suggest something else?”
It’s more than just a habit…
Around 41% of employees experience significant daily stress, with poor management and weak communication as major contributors. When people don’t feel safe admitting they don’t know what to say or need more information, templated responses can become a shield.
Younger workers are particularly cautious: 60% of Gen Z use email to avoid conflict and anxiety at work, and over half aren’t sure how formal their messages should be. Corporate clap backs are often a mix of honesty and self-protection.
How leaders can model better communication
Leaders set the emotional temperature. Every message from a manager either normalises panic, blame and ambiguity, or shows that clarity and calm.
When a leader writes, “Thanks for flagging this, let’s fix it together,” or “I realise my last message wasn’t clear; here’s a better summary,” they’re not just solving a problem; they’re demonstrating how everyone else could talk in a world where digital overload and rushed communication are directly linked to burnout, disengagement and mistakes.
A few practical examples:
Swap blame for curiosity
Instead of saying “Why wasn’t this done?” try something like “I can see this hasn’t moved yet, what’s getting in the way, and how can I help?”
Acknowledge your own misfires
Make it easier for others to admit when they’ve misunderstood something by acknowledging where you could have been clearer or where you may have caused confusion.
Acknowledge good communication
If someone’s summary was clear and easy to action, let them know and recognise the good work.
Set email norms for the team
Simple rules could include things like no “reply all” unless necessary, avoiding vague phrases like “ASAP” and using subject lines that state the action.
Choose the right channel
If something is emotionally charged or complex, move it to a call or in-person chat, then follow up with a short written summary.
Email tone in a hybrid work world
In hybrid and remote teams, where there are fewer spontaneous conversations to soften the edges, a single sharp sentence can replay in someone’s mind all day. Clear, jargon-light, genuinely respectful emails don’t just get faster, better replies. They help create a culture where people don’t feel they have to hide behind “as per my last email” – because saying what they really mean is okay.
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