Most leadership communication problems do not come from saying the wrong thing. They come from leaving out what people need to be able to act on your message. Clarity is costing your team lost productivity time. That’s why I’ve come up with a formula to use before you send that all important email to your team.

First, stop, before you hit send!

Next, review. Take a proper look at your message. That’s where a checklist earns its keep and I have come up with an acronym for my checklist. SCALD.

• Spin: does anything here sound like spin?
• Context: is there enough context for the person to act?
• Actions: are actions assigned with owners and timeframes?
• Loop: have I set a clear loop for escalation and updates?
• Decision: have I clearly stated the decision that is required?

The first question matters more than we realise. People are remarkably good at detecting what I might politely call B.S. That’s when a message has been so heavily polished that the real message is completely lost.

So, review and revise your message.

Finally, and only now, do you hit Send. Yes, it might take longer to send that email, but it will cost even more in lost time if they have to come back to you for clarification.

Good leadership communication doesn’t leave people decoding what was really meant. It makes the next steps clearer, with the aim of reducing friction and enabling action.

If you have an important message, before you hit send, stop! SCALD. And only press send when you have reviewed and revised your message.

Your team will thank you for it.