(Reaching Out is an annoying business term and is just one of the 212 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Effuse, Confuse, and Overuse detailed in the hilarious must-have guide for every workplace: The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room. Available right now on Amazon.)

Reaching Out

Stop, you’re scaring us.

In the current state of virtually everything being inappropriate, forgive us if we don’t want you reaching out. It’s creepy… and, of course, annoying.

What Neil Diamond innocently shared in 1969 – that is, “Hands, touching hands. Reaching out, touching me, touching you” – would get you fired in today’s workplace.

Let’s not only stop with the reaching out, let’s stop telling others this is what we’re doing!

We’ve all read the email or heard the voicemail: “Hey Steve, it’s Gibby. I’m just reaching out to…”

Stop! You’re reaching out to what? To grope me? To touch me in a dirty place? To make me feel in need of a shower?

Okay, perhaps we’re taking this a bit too far, but you must admit this one is just an odd saying. It’s creepy and annoying today; but even in its infancy, we’re pretty sure it sounded strange to most people.

It always did to us.

Replacement phrases: Contacting

See also: Connect With

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The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room is available on Amazon