← LCCPROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
Professional Communication Cheat Sheet
Subject line
Action + context: "APPROVAL NEEDED: Q3 Budget — by Friday 6 Jun" or "FYI: Project update — no action needed"
Opening (1 line)
State purpose immediately: "I need your input on X." or "This is an update on Y."
Body
Max 5–7 lines. Use bullets for multiple points. Each bullet = one idea. No paragraphs longer than 3 lines
Request / next step
Explicit ask at the end: "Please confirm by EOD" or "No action needed, FYI only." Ambiguous emails get no action
Tone check
Read aloud before sending. Would you say this face-to-face? If not, rewrite. Avoid passive-aggressive or sarcastic phrasing
CC / BCC
CC only people who need to take action or need the record. BCC sparingly (usually for courtesy). Do not CC-bomb
★"If I reply within 24 hours it is still professional." Turn off email push notifications. Check email at set times (9 AM / 1 PM / 5 PM) instead of reacting constantly.
  • Header: Date | Meeting title | Attendees | Owner (who called it)
  • Context: 2 lines on why this meeting was held and what was decided last time
  • Discussion points: Bullet format — what was raised, key arguments for/against
  • Decisions: Clear, bold, specific: "DECIDED: Launch date moved to July 15."
  • Action items: Each with OWNER, DEADLINE: "Rahul to send revised proposal by Jun 20."
  • Parking lot: Items raised but deferred to a future meeting
  • Distribute within 2 hours: While memories are fresh. Paste in email or shared channel
★The meeting note owner is whoever called the meeting, not a junior person assigned as secretary. Notes are accountability — own them.
LevelWhen to UseHow to EscalateKey Rule
L0 — Self-resolveHas answer, within authority, < 30 min to fixFix it yourself, log decisionDo not escalate what you can solve
L1 — Peer / teamNeed input, second opinion, collaborationSlack/Teams DM, quick sync callAttempt solution first, then ask
L2 — Direct ManagerBlocked, cross-team conflict, deadline risk, policy unclearEmail with context: "I need your help unblocking X"Come with proposed solution, not just the problem
L3 — Senior LeadershipProject-level risk, budget, client impact, legal riskManager briefs upward OR escalate jointlyNever surprise senior leaders — brief them early
CrisisClient escalation, legal/compliance, safety, PR riskImmediate verbal + written to relevant seniorFirst call, then email to document. Time matters
  1. Situation — Specify when and where: "In the client review on Tuesday morning..."
  2. Behaviour — Describe observable behaviour only: "you interrupted the client three times before they finished speaking"
  3. Impact — State the effect: "which created an awkward moment and the client seemed uncomfortable continuing"
  4. Close with a question — "What was happening for you at that moment?" — invites reflection, not defensiveness. Stay curious
★SBI works for positive feedback too: "In the board meeting, when you paused to clarify the financial data, it built visible confidence with the CFO."