Please don't just say hello

...and then wait for me to reply.

It's like calling someone on the phone, saying "Hi!" and then putting them on hold.

When you do this, you make the co-worker wait while you phrase your question, which loses productivity and disrupts focus.

Instead, phrase your greeting and your issue all in one single, complete message:

This allows the recipient to process the request immediately, answer when they hit a natural breaking point, or pass along the answer right away if they're online.

Similar behaviors to avoid include:

• "Hello -- Are you there?"
• "Hi Bob -- quick question."
• "Do you have a sec?"
• "yt?" / "ping"

Just ask the question!