ALEX HICKEY | Culture
RELATABLE
A new senior manager at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has sent shockwaves through the department with a brash opening to her first group email.
In contrast to modern email etiquette, recently appointed Director of Policy and Partnerships Molly Franklin started her introductory email to her team with “Hey guys”.
Franklin says she thought long and hard about opting for a safer, less gendered term such as “team” or even “whanau”, but opted for a more collegial tone.
“I just think the term ‘guys’ is nice and grounded – it shows we don’t need to take ourselves too seriously or be too formal.
“I was a bit nervous when I hit the send button, and sensed a bit of a ripple as it hit inboxes around the office. But after a quick ciggie break to calm the nerves I was good to go. It was actually a bit of a rush.”
While no formal complaint has been raised, the risky move has raised eyebrows around the office, becoming water cooler fodder across the entire department.
“It’s how I talk to my mates, but I’d never be bold enough to email my colleagues saying that,” said team member Johnson Grant. “It could have gone down so badly – I’m actually amazed it didn’t cause a bigger scene.”
Fortunately for Franklin, MBIE’s default email settings signed off the email with “Ngā mihi”, preventing any further potential embarrassment.
More to come.
Big fan of the Whakataki? Head over to the support page and become a Whakataki backer. You can also follow us on Insta.
