Some things never cease to amaze me. In a professional business environment, if there’s one thing that should not be a surprise, it’s the name you go by. For example, I go by Angela. Yet somehow, there are still some people in the business world who will ask, “Can I call you Angie?”

Don’t get me wrong. Many people go by nicknames in their personal lives. This is especially true around family and close friends. Shortened names can be fun. They can be easier at times. And they can create a feeling of closeness.

But at work, we should never artificially prescribe nicknames to other people. And, we should not assume that they have any interest to do so.

I’ll use myself as an example. My name is Angela. My email address has the name Angela in it. My LinkedIn profile uses the name Angela. Whe

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