Core Principles
- Respect the recipient’s time
- Be concise
- Don’t bury the message in explanations
- Highlight key points with color
- Answer questions before they’re asked
How to Reply
- Make it possible to respond in 10 seconds
- Use short confirmations like “OK”
- Use numbered lists — ideally continuous
- Clearly state the expected action
- Write a relevant subject line
- Acknowledge receipt of messages
- If you can reply within an hour — do it
- If not — specify when you’ll be able to respond
Be Honest
- Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
- Don’t hide problems — always suggest solutions
- Be persistent: the goal is the result
- Lack of response is a problem
- After sending an important email, stay online for 15 minutes
Professional in the Details
- Grammar and clarity matter
- One font, one size
- Blank line between paragraphs
- One base color + one for highlights
- Do all necessary calculations yourself
Avoid Ambiguity
- Use humor and sarcasm carefully
- Follow Chisholm’s Law: if something can be misunderstood — it will be
- Test important messages on colleagues before sending
Visibility
- If someone asks you for an update — it’s already a fail
- A problem isn’t the issue. The issue is lack of reaction to the problem.
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