Yes to Hello! 👋

Be friendly AND efficient - you can do both!

You don't have to choose between being polite and being productive. Just put your greeting and your question in the same message.

Here's the thing:

Saying "hello" is great! Small talk is fine! Being human in digital conversations matters.

The problem isn't the greeting - it's the waiting.

❌ Instead of this:

YOU

Hi!

[notification sent, they check their phone]

[waiting for response...]

THEM

Hey, what's up?

[another notification, they check again]

[waiting...]

YOU

Can you review my PR when you get a chance?

✅ Try this:

YOU

Hi! Can you review my PR when you get a chance?

It's the authentication refactor - no rush, but would love your thoughts before EOD if possible.

Why this is better:

✨ Still friendly - You greeted them! You were polite!

⏰ Respects their time - One notification instead of three. They can respond when ready.

🎯 Actually helpful - They have context and can give you a real answer right away.

📅 Sets clear expectations - They know if it's urgent or can wait, helping them prioritize their response.

💭 Reduces anxiety - No one's left wondering "what do they want?" or "should I wait to respond?"

The idea:

Greeting + context + timing = considerate communication

Say hello! Include what you need help with. And answer the unasked question: "By when?"

Even a simple "no rush" or "when you get a chance" helps people prioritize.

What makes a complete message?

Let's break down that perfect message:

1. The greeting: "Hi!" → Be human

2. The request: "Can you review my PR?" → Be clear

3. The context: "It's the authentication refactor" → Be specific

4. The timeline: "No rush, but would love your thoughts before EOD if possible" → Be considerate

That last part is crucial! Including timing expectations answers the unasked "By when?" question. Whether it's:

"when you get a chance" (low priority)
"by EOD if possible" (today, but flexible)
"urgent - customer is waiting" (drop everything)
"no rush" (truly whenever)

This helps the recipient manage their time and reduces the need for follow-up messages about urgency.

It's not rude to get to the point - it's respectful of everyone's time and attention.

But I usually write multiple messages...

That's totally fine! Just make sure your first message includes both the greeting AND the core request. Then use threads for follow-up details, additional context, or corrections.

Example:

First message: "Hey! Quick question about the deploy process - I'm getting a weird error in production (need to deploy by 3pm)"

Thread replies with your follow-ups:

↳ "It only happens on the EU servers"

↳ "Error code is 502"

↳ "Started about an hour ago"

This way:

The person knows what you need from the very first notification
Your additional details don't spam the main channel
Everything stays organized and easy to follow
Others can see the full context without scrolling through unrelated messages

Pro tip: If your chat app doesn't support threads, type out all your thoughts first, then send them in quick succession so they arrive as a group.