Maximum context communication

How many messages or emails do you read? How many are clear right away?

How many do you have to figure out?

In communication, we tend to commit the error of thinking the other person is like us. We think they know everything we know about what we’ve been working on.

They don’t.

Person A: I made the new proposal
Person B: Okay, where can I find it?
Person C: What proposal?

And then the explanations unwind.

Unnecessarily.

If instead A said: I made the new marketing campaign proposal for the client from XYZ and here is a link: htttttpp://googledocsgibberish

Instant context, convenient link right there if I need it. No looking around in folders on this disk or that.

A little effort on the part of the sender, effort saved for everyone else.

Assume the other person doesn’t have the context. Give it to them on a silver platter. And add a link!