Communication

Professional writing that gets results. Based on Harvard Business Review, Radical Candor (Kim Scott), Crucial Conversations (Patterson et al.), Amazon Working Backwards, and Google Project Aristotle.

Sub-Commands

Command	Description
draft	Draft an email, message, or document from context
polish	Polish tone, cut filler, strengthen ask
feedback	Draft feedback using SBI/BID model
notes	Structure meeting notes from raw transcript or notes
escalate	Draft escalation with clear facts, impact, and request
reply	Reply to a message with appropriate tone

Workflow

Step 1 — Identify audience & context

• Who is the recipient? What is your relationship?
• What is their communication style (direct/indirect, formal/casual)?
• What is the power dynamic (peer, manager, report, client, exec)?
• What has happened before this communication?

Step 2 — Choose tone from matrix

Context	Tone	Salutation	Closing
Internal peer	Casual-direct	"Hi [Name]"	"Thanks"
Internal manager	Professional	"Hi [Name]"	"Thanks"
Cross-team	Professional	"Hi [Name]"	"Best"
Client (established)	Cordial	"Hi [Name]"	"Best regards"
Client (new)	Formal-cordial	"Dear [Name]"	"Best regards"
Executive / VP+	Formal	"Dear [Title] [Last]"	"Sincerely"
Escalation	Firm, respectful	"Hi [Name]"	"Regards"
Complaint	Calm, professional	"Hi [Name]"	"Best regards"

Step 3 — Select channel

Scenario	Channel
Simple question, needs quick answer	DM (Slack/Teams)
Team-wide decision or update	Public channel
Sensitive feedback	In-person or video call
Complex explanation	Loom or shared doc
Formal request or escalation	Email
Needs paper trail	Email
External client	Email

Step 4 — Draft using structure

Email structure:

1. Subject: [Verb] + [Topic]. Max 50 chars. Prefix: [Request/Update/Follow-up/Escalation]
2. Context: reference previous communication in one sentence
3. Purpose: the ask or update in the FIRST paragraph
4. Detail: supporting info, bulleted if > 3 items
5. Next step: who does what by when
6. Closing: matched to relationship

Step 5 — Review checklist

• Subject ≤ 50 chars, prefixed with [Request/Update/Follow-up/Escalation]
• One explicit ask per message, with deadline
• Length ≤ 150 words internal, ≤ 200 client
• Tone matches recipient in matrix
• Zero filler: no "hope this finds you well", "just checking in", "I wanted to reach out"
• No passive-aggression: no "as per my last email", "per our conversation"
• Blame externalized: "The deployment failed" not "You failed"

Step 6 — Send at appropriate time

• During recipient's working hours (respect timezone)
• Avoid Friday afternoon (unless urgent)
• Avoid right before lunch or end of day

Step 7 — Follow up

• If no response in 48h, send ONE follow-up
• Format: same subject, first line = "Gentle ping on this — do you need anything from me to move forward?"

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Filler Phrases to Delete (exact replacements)

Delete	Replace with
"I hope this email finds you well"	Nothing. Start with the purpose.
"I just wanted to reach out"	State the purpose directly.
"Per my last email"	Restate the ask directly.
"Just checking in"	"Following up on [specific thing] — do you have an ETA?"
"Quick question"	Ask the question directly in the subject.
"Sorry to bother you"	"When you have a moment, [ask]"
"To be honest"	Everything you write should be honest. Drop the phrase.
"I think" / "I feel"	"I recommend" / "The data shows" — be direct.

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Feedback (SBI Model)

• Situation: when and where
• Behavior: what exactly was said/done (observable, not interpreted)
• Impact: what effect it had

Rules:

• Always in private for redirecting feedback
• As close to the event as possible
• Focus on actions, not personality
• End with a question: "Does that resonate?"
• Ask permission first: "Can I share some feedback?"
• One topic per session
• Never: "you always", "you never", comparison to others

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Meeting Notes Format

Every meeting produces exactly four things:

## [Topic] — [Date]

## Summary
One paragraph. A non-attendee should understand what happened.

## Decisions
- [DECIDED] We will use X instead of Y because Z

## Action Items
| Owner | Task | Due |
|-------|------|-----|
| @name | Specific task description | 2026-05-15 |

## Open Questions
- [QUESTION] ... → @owner to decide by Friday

## Risks
- Risk description → mitigation

Rules:

• Notes sent within 2 hours of meeting end
• Every action has a named owner + ISO date deadline
• No verbatim discussion. Strip to 4 sections.

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Cross-Cultural Communication

Culture	Directness	Formality	Time	Feedback
US	Direct	Informal	Strict deadlines	Direct + positive
Japan	Indirect	Formal	Punctual	Indirect, private
Germany	Direct	Formal	Strict	Direct, factual
Brazil	Indirect	Relationship-first	Flexible	Indirect, relationship
India	Context-dependent	Formal with seniors	Flexible	Indirect, hierarchical

Async Communication Protocols

1. Default to async: assume response within 24h (not instant)
2. No "hi" messages: include context + question in first message
3. Status updates: visible in project tool, not via DM
4. Meeting notes: posted within 1h. Action items with owners + deadlines.
5. Decision log: key decisions documented with rationale + date + decider.

Meeting Facilitation

• Agenda sent 24h before. Start with purpose + desired outcome.
• Timebox: 15min (standup), 30min (decision), 60min max (workshop)
• Parking lot: off-topic items written down for later
• Round-robin: every voice heard before discussion

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Error Handling

Cause	Fix
Recipient didn't respond in 48 hours	Send one follow-up with same subject. First line: "Gentle ping on this — do you need anything from me to move forward?"
Email draft is too long (>200 words client, >150 internal)	Cut to essentials. Move details to bullet points. Complex topics → Loom video or shared doc.
Tone feels passive-aggressive on re-read	Replace "per my last email" with direct restatement. Remove "as I mentioned." Check for blame language.
Cross-cultural miscommunication risk	Check culture table. Japanese: add polite preamble, drop subject pronouns. German: complete information, use Sie. French: context before ask.
Emotional reaction while drafting	Save draft. Wait 1 hour minimum. Revise before sending. Remove all loaded language.
Vague action items after meeting	Every action item must have: named owner + ISO date deadline + specific verb. No "we should think about."
Feedback received negatively	Check SBI structure: Situation (when/where) + Behavior (observable) + Impact (effect). End with "Does that resonate?" Never "you always/never."
Escalation email ignored by leadership	Structure: clear facts first, business impact second, specific request third. Keep under 150 words. No blame. Include deadline.

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why It Fails	Fix
No clear ask	Reader doesn't know what to do	State CTA explicitly in first paragraph
Reply-all for 1:1 matters	Noise for others, exposes private context	DM or email only relevant person
Wall of text	Nobody reads it	Max 2 paragraphs. Bullets for > 3 items. Loom for complex.
Sending when emotional	Regret within the hour	Draft, wait 1h, revise, send
CC'ing manager unnecessarily	Political escalation	Only CC when they need to know
False urgency ("URGENT" / "ASAP")	Boy who cried wolf	Reserve for actual outages. Use specific deadline otherwise.
Over-apologizing	Undermines confidence	Apologize once sincerely, pivot to solution
Vague follow-ups ("Checking in")	No context, no action	"Following up on X — ETA for Y?"

Constraints

• Max 150 words internal, 200 for client emails
• No passive-aggressive language
• No assigning blame to a person
• Signature: Name, Title, Company, Phone. No quotes. No ASCII art.

Checklist

• Audience identified (executive, peer, client, direct report)
• Purpose clear: inform, persuade, align, or escalate
• Tone matched to relationship and context
• Key action item or ask stated explicitly near the top
• Proofread for ambiguity and unnecessary jargon

Sources

• Radical Candor — Kim Scott
• Crucial Conversations — Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler
• Harvard Business Review — Communication guides
• Center for Creative Leadership — SBI model
• Amazon Working Backwards methodology
• Google Project Aristotle — Psychological safety
• Thanks for the Feedback — Stone & Heen