Better Safe Than Witty

I'm addressing this to the younger readers out there because those of you who have been around the block a few times will know this as a Mother Truth:

Trite expressions serve a valuable purpose.

They are not overused because people are lazy, although they are a form of short-hand. They are frequently employed because they are safe and, in the workplace, safe is often a very good place to be.

Let me give an example: You have to write a note to a friend who just got a promotion or who recently suffered a career setback. You can try to be a George Kaufman or Mark Twain, scribble a few witty lines and hope your words will be smiled over and cherished over the years or...you can be boring and safe.

I recommend the latter.

The real message is that you took the time to write; it's not the content. You don't need to be clever and wise. You need to be safe and supportive. Being witty carries several risks:

• Your comments may not be that wise and wonderful;



• Your tone may be perceived as flippant and perhaps even uncaring; and



• The wit may carry a meaning you didn't intend to convey.

The biggest danger is that the wittier the remarks, the greater is the risk that the note will become a celebration of the sender instead of the receiver. That goes against the entire purpose of the communication.

In short, it's not about you. It's about them.