Communication
Quality Checklist

When a message misses - when it confuses, gets ignored, or produces the wrong response - the problem is rarely the topic. It is usually one of seven things: the message was unclear, too long, too vague, inaccurate, disorganized, incomplete, or tone-deaf. Most communicators are strong on two or three of these dimensions by default and weak on the others without realizing it. The ones you default to well are the ones you have probably never thought about. The ones you struggle with are where your communication patterns are costing you.

This checklist is a pre-send or pre-delivery review - a seven-point scan of any written or spoken message. It works for emails, reports, presentations, difficult conversations, and team briefings. Use it before sending messages where the stakes are high or where previous communications have not landed as intended.

Running a message through all seven criteria takes less than two minutes. The steps below are sequenced to match how communication problems typically compound - starting with the foundation of clarity and building to the professional register of the final send.