No Hello - Communicate Effectively

What is "No Hello"?

"No Hello" is a principle of effective communication that discourages starting work messages with just a greeting and no actual content. When you send a message saying "Hi!" and wait for a response before explaining your question, you're wasting your colleague's time and slowing down the work process.

Why is this important?

In today's world of business communication, time is the most valuable resource. When you send a message that contains only a greeting, you:

• Force the recipient to wait while you formulate your question
• Interrupt their work twice (once for the greeting, again for the actual question)
• Create an unnecessary pause in communication
• Increase the time it takes to solve the problem

Bad communication example

This conversation took over 18 minutes, although it could have been much more efficient.

Good communication example

This conversation took only 7 minutes and got straight to the point!

How to start a conversation properly

Instead of just writing "Hello", try these effective conversation starters:

• Hi! Can you help me set up the printer?
• Good morning! Please review this document by 2:00 PM.
• Hello! When will the test results be ready?

This doesn't mean being rude

"No Hello" doesn't mean abandoning politeness. You can (and should) still start messages with a greeting, but it's important to get to the point immediately:

• Greeting + the essence of your question
• Greeting + context + question
• Greeting + request + deadline

Benefits of the "No Hello" approach

If you abandon empty greetings, you'll experience:

• Faster problem solving
• Fewer interruptions to workflow
• More effective asynchronous communication
• The ability for recipients to prepare complete answers immediately
• Better documentation of discussions (all questions and answers recorded with context)

When is just "Hello" appropriate?

Of course, there are situations where just saying "Hello" might be appropriate:

• Informal communication with friends
• Starting conversations in social situations
• Checking someone's availability before a long conversation

But in a work environment, especially in written communication, it's better to get straight to the point.

How to spread the "No Hello" culture

If you want your team to adopt this approach:

• Share a link to this website
• Establish communication rules for your team
• Lead by example with efficient communication
• Explain the benefits of this approach

Frequently Asked Questions

Isn't saying just "Hello" polite?

While greetings are polite in person, in digital communication they can create inefficiency when sent as standalone messages. The most polite thing you can do is respect others' time.

Will people think I'm rude if I don't just say hello first?

Not if you still include a greeting with your message. "Hi Jane! Do you have the sales report?" is both polite and efficient.

Does this apply to all communication channels?

This principle is most important for asynchronous communication like emails, messaging apps, and collaboration tools. It's less critical for real-time conversations like in-person or video calls.