🎒 Microlesson

🪞 Reflect

Have you ever received a message that caused you to panic, only to realize later that it didn’t mean what you had feared?

💡 Concept

“We need to talk.”

“The launch is getting pushed up by a month.”

“This all needs to be redone by next week.”

Who hasn’t received messages like these and felt stress? Without all the context you need, it’s easy to assume the worst. And if you’re working remotely, it can be even harder to interpret the situation—you can’t see the face or demeanor of the person who sent you the message for additional clues about its meaning.

In some instances, you may have correctly understood the message. But in many cases, the meaning is not as bad as it first appears—the person sending the message just didn’t give enough context for the receiver to really know what was being communicated.

It’s easy to do—we’re all busy, juggling multiple demands, communicating with multiple people. Sometimes we forget to include the key details that would ensure the reader understands our intended mood and message.

When you send asynchronous messages, try reading them out loud before sending them to catch any errors, provide the necessary context, and adjust your tone to more accurately convey what you mean.

Reading the message aloud helps you to put yourself in the shoes of the person receiving the message—allowing you to pause and make adjustments to convey your true meaning, instead of leaving the recipient to guess.

Here are some ideas of how to flesh out a message to avoid a misunderstanding or unnecessary stress.

“We need to talk.” → Send me your availability so I can schedule a time to discuss a new project I want you to take on.

“The launch is getting pushed up by a month.” → We just learned that a competitor is set to launch their product the same week as we’d planned, so we need to move up the launch by a month. I’ve readjusted the scope of the project to accommodate the fact that we have less time. Please review the updated scope and timeline and get back to me with your comments.

“This all needs to be redone by next week.” → I’ve given feedback on the document that includes certain sections that need revision.

🎬 Take Action

• For any messages you write today, pause and read them out loud before sending them. Make any adjustments needed to minimize stress for the recipient.

• Think about times your messages were misinterpreted. Is there a pattern of when such miscommunication tends to occur? Do your messages get shorter at the end of the day? Or before a big deadline?

• Think about a time you misinterpreted someone else's message. What information would have made their message clearer?

• Look back at recent messages that may have caused unnecessary stress and provide additional context.

✅ Check In

🧠 Keep Learning

Learn more about communication in the distributed workplace in the Workplaceless Remote Work Certification course.

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