are you too direct?
When I was younger, I had a rather direct way of communicating via email, And by direct, I mean abrasive :-).
I came across as rude and aggressive, which pissed people off.
Fortunately, I had a great mentor who gave me some feedback on how to communicate in a way that was better received.
Here’s the five-part framework he taught me.
1. Thank the sender.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Thanks for looping me in.”
“Thanks for the heads up.”
2. Recap the ask.
“It seems like you want to ensure we get the paperwork to the client this week.”
3. Answer the question.
“You’ll have the SOW no later than 5 pm Wednesday.”
4. Get feedback.
“How does that sound?”
5. Graceful close
“Appreciate you.”
If you come across as too direct in your written communication hopefully this framework helps soften your message.
Josh Braun
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