Author Topic: Is This Weird? - Pleasantries in Phone Calls at Work  (Read 2874 times)

Hmmm

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Re: Is This Weird? - Pleasantries in Phone Calls at Work
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2020, 04:46:57 pm »
...but be assured that these pleasantries are normal and typical for a business interaction. I'll suggest that you think of them not as solely "social" pleasantries but as "human" pleasantries. When humans are talking, socially or professionally, these are reasonable interactions.

I don't disagree, but I don't think there is anything wrong or rude about NOT doing the social or "human" pleasantries. When I am working with someone I know, I actually care and may ask how they are, how their vacation was, whether their kid won the soccer tournament. For a one-time business interaction, it's just words, though, and not ACTUAL interest, so I prefer to not do that dance. I'm not rude, I just don't feel the need to prolong a simple business transaction with fluff that means nothing.

I've shared before about the person at the convenience store who INSISTED on calling after me over and over using my actual name, which he learned from my credit card. He didn't come across as being "pleasant." He came across as rude. I would have preferred he simply ring out my purchase so we both could go ahead with our days.

I guess I don't see it as fluff that means nothing. I think I've shared this before which is maybe what colors my opinions. For the last 20 years, I've worked for a large multi-country corporation. I can go months primarily dealing with US bases staffed and then there's been years where I primarily work with people in other countries. I realized that I can across as brusk when working with non-US. It was common for me to send an instant message with not "Hi, Tim" and wait for a response but instead I'd send "Tim, when can you send me your update" or even just "please send the update by end of day." In meetings in other countries, I'd expect everyone to come in say good morning and then and get right to business. Not the pleasantries that was their costume. Because I've spent the last 15 years really working on creating a more polite workspace, I feel I shouldn't stop there but observe "human pleasantries" with all humans I encounter. It takes 30 seconds of my time and theirs.

I have found in my work, that taking the pause to truly greet another co-worker actually reduces my stress level and makes my work day more pleasant. It takes my mind of the specific work item for just a moment. But that moment is like taking a deep breathe and saying breath to myself.

I don't see the experience with the convenience store worker related to what was being discussed in this thread. That is strange behavior and creating a false sense of intimacy.
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