Say what you mean.
In all communication there is the possibility of having text and subtext. When used properly and in the right instances, the interplay between text and subtext is what makes the nuance of a scene in a film captivating. The drama is created when a character does or says one thing but slyly means another. Fantastic! Amazing! Give them an Oscar!
I argue that work is not the place for that type of exchange, that nuance, that “drama”. Projects and deliverables are already complicated, over promised, and behind schedule. Office politics is already a minefield to navigate. Integrating work and life is a constant challenge. The one struggle an employee should not have to navigate is deciphering what their colleague, direct report, or manager means.
Count how many times someone says or writes something to you and what they mean is not what was said or written. How much time and anguish, either conscious or unconscious, did that cost you? What could that time and energy could have been out towards?
If you say a message 10 times, that message should mean the same thing every time. Not 7/10, not 8/10, not 9/10. Imagine you’re a manager and you tell your employee a new deliverable to be completed but at the end always ask “What do you think?”. You mean it the first 9 times, whether or not it’s a positive affirmation or negative descent. But on the 10th time you don’t really want their opinion and then get frustrated when you really just wanted the employee to complete task without debate. Who’s really at fault? Them for not deciphering your message or yours for not communicating what you mean?
Saying what you mean is a small daily activity that can make yours and the lives of the people around you exponentially easier.