20 Nov
In case you are wondering why I am pasting my out-of-office email, I wanted to share what I gained, and what brought smiles to several of my contacts. My out-of-office email over this long weekend read as follows:
“Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out.
Generally, I wouldn’t like to miss your email. However, I am living a beach life, in a remote village till May 4; eating no junk but authentic local food, no crazy travels but long walks in the lush greens, no phone calls but listening to the sound of waves, no looking at emails but gazing at stars, and no work conversations but play time with my 2-year old son.
Look forward to catching up once I return.”
This email brought a smile to my readers. Taking a cue from this, some of my colleagues are using out-of-office emails to promote social causes they are part of, share personal experiences, and establish relationships beyond work.
Sure, technology has brought in great levels of automation! But there is always a chance to connect with others by adding a bit of personal touch to the otherwise mundane out-of-office emails!
And who knows, such small gestures could fetch you a friend, a potential employee, or even a life partner 
What do you think?
