Written communication
Difficult email
Put a hard message in writing without it reading as an accusation.
Writing about something that has gone wrong repeatedly.
The shape
- Purpose
- Facts
- Impact
- Position
- Way forward
Why that order
In writing the reader supplies the tone, and under stress they supply the worst available one. Stating the purpose first is what stops the facts being read as a case being built.
A worked example
I want to address the repeated missed deadlines. The last three reports arrived after the agreed date. This has affected the team's review cycle. We need to return to the agreed Thursday deadline. Let me know if there is a constraint preventing that.
What usually goes wrong
Writing it when it should be said. Some of these should not be emails at all.
Built from
An application framework is a package. These are the reusable shapes inside it.
Mostly serves Message, and reaches into Connection and Presence.
A framework tells you what shape the answer takes. It cannot tell you whether shape is what you are short of, and for most people it is not. Which one is yours, and whether a framework is the right instrument at all, is what a Discovery Call is for.
Take the AssessmentOr read the whole glossary first.