Communication
Are you communicating, or just making noise?
Every message is a bet on someone's attention. Win the bet, create value. Lose it, create friction.
The Spectrum
Communication isn't binary. It's a spectrum from fully synchronous (same time, same place) to fully asynchronous (different time, different place).
| Mode | Example | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Sync | Meeting, call, live chat | Decisions, conflict, creative collision |
| Async | Email, recorded video, docs | Updates, deep feedback, cross-timezone |
The mistake: defaulting to sync because it feels productive. Meetings fill calendars. Calendars look busy. Busy feels like progress.
But sync has a cost: it forces context switches. And context switching is the enemy of flow.
Structure, Substance, Connection
Every communication has three dimensions:
| Dimension | Question | Failure Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | How is this organized? | Buried lede, wall of text, wrong channel |
| Substance | What am I actually saying? | No point, no ask, no value |
| Connection | Will this reach them? | Wrong time, wrong medium, wrong context |
Get all three right, and communication compounds. Miss one, and you're just making noise.
Structure
How the message is organized:
- Format: Bullet points vs prose vs video
- Channel: Slack vs email vs meeting vs doc
- Hierarchy: What's the headline? What's the detail?
Rule: The reader should know what you want within 10 seconds.
Substance
What you're actually communicating:
- Information type: Update, request, decision, creative input
- Depth: Surface summary vs deep context
- Ask: What do you need from them?
Rule: No message without a point. No point buried at the end.
Connection
How it reaches the recipient:
- Timing: Their timezone, their schedule, their attention state
- Medium: Matches the message (urgent = sync, thoughtful = async)
- Relationship: Context they already have vs context they need
Rule: Meet them where they are, not where you are.
When to Use Which
| Situation | Mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent decision needed | Sync | Back-and-forth required |
| Complex negotiation | Sync | Nuance, tone, rapid iteration |
| Status update | Async | No discussion needed |
| Deep feedback on work | Async | Thoughtful response > fast response |
| Distributed team | Async | Time zones make sync painful |
| Building relationship | Sync | Trust needs presence |
| Crisis | Sync | Speed matters, alignment critical |
Deep Dives
- Asynchronous Communication — Time-independent collaboration
- Meetings — Synchronous communication done right
The Test
Before any communication, ask:
- Structure: Can they parse this in 10 seconds?
- Substance: Is there a clear point and ask?
- Connection: Is this the right time, place, and medium?
If any answer is no, revise before sending.
Links
- Flow State — Why interruptions cost more than you think
- Meetings — When sync is the right call
- Working Memory — Why context switching hurts