Using Humor in Emails To Get Noticed (In a Good Way) at Work
Being funny in email can be a massive boon or make you highly obnoxious. It’s all about finding the sweet spot.
Your coworker sends you the following email:
Dear staff,
It is not my job to clean the microwave. It is your job to ensure you clean up after yourself. I do not want to get stuck cleaning the microwave daily because no one else cares enough to do it. Take personal responsibility for yourselves. We are adults.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Is that email going to make Jennifer any friends? Probably not. While she’s right about people cleaning up after themselves, there are more effective ways to get your point across that make you sound less like an intolerable shrew.
Let’s try a humorous version of this email that’s sure to win friends and ensure the microwave is always spotless:
Dear staff,
It’s come to my attention that some of you do not clean the microwave after using it. Remember that this microwave, whom I’ve lovingly named Marge, is just as much a part of our team as Edmond in accounting. Right now, Marge looks like she got roughed up by some teenagers down by…
