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- 👋 The Gentle Nudge, Perfected
👋 The Gentle Nudge, Perfected
Scripts to Reinforce Norms and Keep Projects Moving
🎒 Microlesson
🪞 Reflect
When someone on your team forgets a norm, drops the ball on a task, or misses a deadline, how do you handle it? Do you let it slide? Get frustrated? Remind them? How do you follow up without micromanaging or sounding passive-aggressive?
💡 Concept
In remote and hybrid teams, nudging is a critical skill. Since we can’t depend on visual cues or shared physical space to encourage progress, gentle, intentional reminders are essential for keeping tasks and projects on track. The goal is to prompt action while maintaining trust, accountability, and momentum.
Here’s how to nudge effectively—without sounding like a nag. Feel free to adjust these sample scripts to meet your specific needs.
📌 Anchor your nudge to the team agreement.
It’s easier to follow through when everyone remembers what they agreed to do. Frame your reminder as a call to uphold shared norms, not as a personal request or badgering.
✅ Script:
“Quick reminder to use the project tag when posting updates—that makes it easier for everyone to stay looped in!”
“Hey, just circling back on our async meeting norm—mind sharing your update in the doc before Friday?”
🔄 Use language that invites follow-through, not guilt.
Keep your tone light, collaborative, and focused on the shared goal. Assume good intent and avoid assigning blame.
✅ Script:
“Just checking in on the draft you were working on. Let me know if you’re stuck or need anything to move forward.”
“I noticed the action item from Monday’s meeting is still open. Do you need help completing it this week?”
💬 Be specific about what you’re requesting and why it matters.
Vague nudges get vague results. Reference what is needed, when, and how it affects the team or project.
✅ Script:
“Hey, can you add your feedback to the slide deck by tomorrow? We’re aiming to finalize it by the end of day Friday.”
🧠 Normalize nudging as part of how the team works.
If your team has set clear expectations about reminders, then nudging will feel more like support than policing. Model the practice and encourage everyone to develop this skill as well.
✅ Script:
“I’ll give everyone a quick nudge if we’re missing updates before the deadline—feel free to do the same for me!”
🎬 Take Action
Pick one nudge you’ve been avoiding and send it today using a friendly tone.
Create a shared doc listing team norms so reminders are clearly part of team culture.
Use templates or saved messages in Slack or email to make nudging easier and more consistent. Feel free to use our script examples and adjust them to your specific situation or need.
Model the behavior you want to encourage by responding positively when others nudge you.
Encourage the team to treat nudges as helpful rather than personal.
🧠 Keep Learning
Learn more about creating team agreements in Leadplaceless.
✅ Check In
Were you able to apply this week's microlesson to your work? |
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