7 Key Acronyms – Shortcuts to Save You Time at Work
Category: Business English Skills | 2017-09-27
I recently received an email that left me a little confused. It read,” FYI, WFH to EOW. Call if you need me.” So, I thought about calling to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Then I decided to search the net for some clarification on all these acronyms.
It turns out, there are thousands that I had no idea existed. I won’t bore you with all of those. But, I thought it would be a good idea to collect the most important of them for easy reference. Here are 7 of the most useful acronyms I found and how to use them.
Enjoy!
7 Useful Acronyms to Save You Time at Work
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1. EOW / EOD – End of Week / Day
Use this acronym to set a time limit of the end of the day or the week.
“I will have that report on your desk by EOD.”
2. OOO – Out of Office
Tell your colleagues that you will not be reachable until a later date.
“Thank you for your email. I will be OOO until Oct. 4. For urgent matters, please contact John Q.”
3. NRN – No Reply Necessary
This simple acronym saves you and your colleagues time and energy. You no longer need to send that email that says, “Got it” or “Thanks”.
“Tomorrow’s meeting has been moved to 10am. NRN”
4. FYI – For Your Information
We use this acronym to add a side note to an email.
“…if you could send me the document by 3pm, I would greatly appreciate it. FYI, Steve is on the rampage today, so steer clear of him if you can!”
5. WFH – Working From Home
This acronym lets your colleagues know you won’t be in the office but you can still be reached by email or phone.
“I’ll be WFH today to look after my daughter who’s home sick. So, if you need me, you can reach me via email or at 555-1234.”
6. PRB – Please Reply By
This lets your colleagues know that you need an answer by a certain point in time.
“The numbers in this report seem a bit off. Would you mind taking a look for me? PRB 3:30 if you have the time. Thanks!”
7. IMO – In My Opinion
Use this acronym to soften your opinion when you give it. This leaves room for discussion and takes away the harshness of any criticism in the statement.
“IMO, this report falls short of giving a true representation of the situation we are in.”
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Putting It All Together
Acronyms are great for saving time and helping us to get straight to the point. But, they can cause trouble if you don’t know what they mean. Especially for language learners. Not only are the acronyms sometimes unknown, but so are the original phrases. So, feel free to use these acronyms, but keep in mind your audience when you are writing. And, if you want a great resource for acronyms used in texting, check out this article: Do you speak Millennial?
What are your favourite acronyms? What are the most annoying that you have seen? Do you have a colleague who writes almost exclusively in this style? Let me know your thoughts on the use of acronyms in business and social life in the comments below. Don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter for more tips, articles and exclusive deals. Thanks for reading!
Cheers!
About the Author
Keith MacPherson
As the owner and founder of The MacPherson Language Institute, Keith is engaged in all aspects of language learning. A teacher, blogger, translator and consultant, he offers expert training and guidance for private students and businesses competing in the global market. Leave a comment, join the mailing list or follow him on Twitter @MLISolutions.