Best is No Better
Communicating well is vital to success in the workplace at all levels of responsibility and influence. We need to skillfully communicate via spoken words, silence, body language and what we write in letters and emails. A skilled communicator conveys meaning and engenders trust while providing information about something important. Skilled communicators avoid platitudes and lingo because they distract the mind from what is most salient.
Lately, I have seen the word best used as a closing in emails. It looks something like, "Let's talk later in the week. Best, Steve." But, what exactly does the word best mean?
Best is a positive word. Its connotation is easy enough to understand. Best is as good as it can be. Maybe Steve is "sending me his best." That idiom has been in our vernacular for a long time. My gripe with Best, though, is that it does not create enough warmth, clarity, and meaning, two things lacking in everyday business communication.
No one who knows me would call me a traditionalist, except in this case. Best is not instantly understood. It is positive; that's true. But it is subjective. Best does not improve upon concise, traditional sign-offs like, warmly and sincerely. Best does not describe how you meant what you wrote. Considering Steve and I do not know each other well, best makes me wonder what he means. What is Steve's best? Is it like Adrienne's best? Is it like mine? Best also sounds clipped-off word like the word yup.
The traditional sincerely is a better email or letter closing for several reasons. It is more formal and so conveys more respect than best. It is clear, concise and unambiguous. It flows better off the tongue and in the mind's ear. Sincerely, Steve is also more fluid and graceful than Best, Steve.
In this age of hurry-up-I-need-to-get-on-to-the-next-thing-licketysplitquick, good communication engenders trust and warmth. It helps people feel more connected and motivated to get back in touch with you when they know you purposely sent your ideas and message sincerely. For business communication, Best is no better.
Lately, I have seen the word best used as a closing in emails. It looks something like, "Let's talk later in the week. Best, Steve." But, what exactly does the word best mean?
Best is a positive word. Its connotation is easy enough to understand. Best is as good as it can be. Maybe Steve is "sending me his best." That idiom has been in our vernacular for a long time. My gripe with Best, though, is that it does not create enough warmth, clarity, and meaning, two things lacking in everyday business communication.
No one who knows me would call me a traditionalist, except in this case. Best is not instantly understood. It is positive; that's true. But it is subjective. Best does not improve upon concise, traditional sign-offs like, warmly and sincerely. Best does not describe how you meant what you wrote. Considering Steve and I do not know each other well, best makes me wonder what he means. What is Steve's best? Is it like Adrienne's best? Is it like mine? Best also sounds clipped-off word like the word yup.
The traditional sincerely is a better email or letter closing for several reasons. It is more formal and so conveys more respect than best. It is clear, concise and unambiguous. It flows better off the tongue and in the mind's ear. Sincerely, Steve is also more fluid and graceful than Best, Steve.
In this age of hurry-up-I-need-to-get-on-to-the-next-thing-licketysplitquick, good communication engenders trust and warmth. It helps people feel more connected and motivated to get back in touch with you when they know you purposely sent your ideas and message sincerely. For business communication, Best is no better.
Labels: Communication skills, email etiquette, positive communication
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