EMAILAsk first.
Action-first emails: put the request in the first two lines
Most work emails bury the ask under background. Lead with the action, the owner and the deadline, then add only the context the reader needs to act.
Blogs
Practical guides.
One problem at a time.
Short, practical guides on clearer emails, meeting notes, project updates, handovers, proposals, SOPs and presentations — with before-and-after examples.
EmailMeetingsProject updatesDocumentationAI & writingProposalsPresentations
12 guides
Read it, then use it.
Every guide uses fictional examples and links to the free template or tool for the same job.
EMAILNot ASAP.
Why “ASAP” fails — and what to write instead
“ASAP” sounds urgent but tells the reader nothing they can plan around. Replace it with a date, a time and the reason, and urgency becomes actionable.
MEETINGSWho does what?
Meeting notes people actually use: decisions, owners, dates
Minutes that retell the conversation are rarely read. Record the decisions, the open questions and every action with one owner and one date.
PROJECT UPDATESFive lines.
A weekly project update in five lines
Status, change since last week, risks, decisions needed and next milestone. A short, repeatable update that stakeholders can read in under a minute.
DOCUMENTATIONHand it over.
Writing a client handover that works without you in the room
A handover is read when you are no longer available to explain it. Cover what was delivered, how to use it, what is unfinished, and who to contact.
DOCUMENTATIONLikely ≠ will.
Don’t make it sound more certain than it is
Editing for clarity can quietly turn “likely” into “will”. Keep confirmed facts, estimates and assumptions visibly different — clarity and accuracy are not the same thing.
AI & WRITINGCheck every fact.
Using AI to draft business documents without inventing facts
AI tools are fast at structure and tone, and confidently wrong about details. A practical workflow: you supply the facts, the tool drafts, a person checks every claim.
PROPOSALSIn. Out. Assumed.
The scope section: what’s in, what’s out, what’s assumed
Most proposal disputes start in a vague scope. Write three short lists — included, excluded, assumptions — and agree them before the work starts.
PRESENTATIONSOne decision.
Build a presentation around the one decision you need
Many workplace presentations inform when they should ask. Start from the decision, put it on slide two, and make every other slide support or test it.
DOCUMENTATIONStep by step.
Writing an SOP someone can follow on their first day
A standard operating procedure is only useful if a new person can complete the task with it. Write numbered steps, one action each, with the expected result.
EMAILLabel it.
Subject lines that tell the reader what to do
A subject line is a label the reader uses to decide when to open an email and how to find it later. Name the action and the topic, and add a date when there is one.
EMAILEscalate calmly.
How to escalate without blaming: a calm escalation email
An escalation is a request for help with a decision, not a complaint. State the issue, the impact, what has been tried and the specific decision you need.
Prefer to practise live?
Free Sunday sessions.
Each Sunday webinar takes one of these problems and works through a fictional example together, with a worksheet afterwards.