Your company signed a new client yesterday. Today, you received an email from a coworker that says:

“We will need to compile a sales report for this client on a bimonthly basis.”

At first glance, this seems like a simple message. But what does it actually mean?

First of all, who is “we” in this situation? The company in general? You and your colleague? Your colleague and somebody else?

And what does “compile” mean here? Just get some raw data? Or are we doing some analysis?

Also, bimonthly? Like, twice a month? Or every two months? 

Looks like the message isn’t as simple as it first appeared. In fact, it’s pretty unclear.

Unfortunately, unclear, confusing messages aren’t rare in the business world. We all send them. You. Me. Everybody.

To reduce the confusion caused by your emails, look for opportunities to add more clarity before you hit send. In particular, make sure the recipient will understand:

• What will be happening 

• Who will be doing it, and

• When it needs to happen

For our example above, a more clear message might have been:

“You and I will need to pull the raw sales data on the 1st and 15th of every month and email it to the client.”

About The Author

Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense. 

Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.