Stop Being Friendly

Why should you be curt with colleagues and customers over email? According to a study of executive recruiters (via Web Worker Daily), people are more likely to reply to important things when there's no chitchat mixed in. Stuart Jeffries of The Guardian would like to extend that curtness to faux-cheerful salutations and closings as well (if only because the "overintimacy" involved).

Businessfolks aren't the only ones whose performance worsens when they try to be friendly at work. A new study discussed in the New York Times found that doctors give worse care when they interject personal information into discussions with their patients.

Quit being so cheerful and nice—you'll be more productive. (Especially since you won't have any friends--)