The single most useful habit.
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO
Explain the background, then the reasoning, then the conclusion.
WHY THAT FAILS AT WORK
Readers decide whether to continue within seconds.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
State the conclusion or request first.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE
We should postpone the launch to the following month. Here is why.
WHAT IT REPLACES
Three paragraphs ending in a recommendation.
WHY IT WORKS
The reader understands everything that follows in context.
WHAT ELSE IT ACHIEVES
Readers who need only the answer can stop.
WHAT TO PUT IN THE FIRST SENTENCE
What you want, or what happened.
WHAT TO PUT AFTER
Why, and what it depends on.
WHAT TO PUT LAST
Detail only some readers need.
WHY PEOPLE RESIST THIS
It feels abrupt, and it exposes the conclusion to challenge immediately.
WHAT TO RECOGNISE
That exposure is the point: it invites the discussion faster.
WHERE IT APPLIES
Emails Reports Proposals Messages Updates
WHERE IT DOES NOT
Narrative, where sequence matters Sensitive messages where context genuinely precedes
WHAT TO DO IN THOSE CASES
Still state the subject early, even if the conclusion follows.
