How long will it take you to type “Thank you” or “Well Received?” One minute? Two? I will need a minute.
Many people think there is no need to respond to emails or messages, even if the response is just “Thank you.” I remember my former boss saying to me, “People do not always reply to emails, Desy.” Yes, of course.
But for me, it is very important to respond. It is not only about politeness but by replying to an email with “Thank you” for example, somehow, I also sent a message to the person. This is certainly not an outspoken message, but it is more of an intrinsic message, one that shows I value the person. It’s like: “I read your message and understand it.”
Responding to emails also makes us more interactive with others. People talk to us, we reply to them. We don’t ignore them. It only takes us a minute to maintain our relationship with other people or stakeholders.
