Your first week

The one rule

Talk to it. Don't search it. More words is better, not worse.

For any awkward message — the four-part recipe

1. Who you are and what happened
2. What you want to happen
3. The tone — firm / friendly / formal / apologetic
4. How long — short / one paragraph / a page

Never send the first version. Say what to change, in plain words:

• "Too formal — make it sound like a normal person"
• "Shorter. Half that."
• "Take out the last paragraph"
• "Add that I've been a customer for eleven years"

The three safety rules

1. Postcard rule — no bank details, passwords, NI number, passport number
2. Check what matters — anything medical, legal, money, or with a date or number in it
3. It agrees too easily — for a real opinion ask: "Give me the strongest argument against this"

Five things to try this week

• Take a letter you don't understand: "What is this actually asking me to do?"
• "Explain [anything] to me like I'm completely new to it"
• "Here's what's in my fridge. Two of us, half an hour, I'm not a confident cook."
• Write the message you've been putting off
• "I'm going to [place] for four days in [month]. We like [x], we don't like [y]. What should we do?"

When it goes wrong

Tell it what's wrong and ask again. That's it. You can't break it, and it doesn't mind.

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