We waste a lot of time writing emails that get ignored, or worse, provoke an unintended response.

So here's how to write emails that work:

First ask, is the news you are sharing with your customer good news or bad news for them?

If it is good news, the tone can be upbeat and positive. If it is bad news, you’ll need to tread more carefully.

Then ask, what do you want them to do as a result of reading your email? Do you want them to do something (action required) or do nothing (no action...

Most of my trip to the Ikara-Flinders Ranges, South Australia, last year went as planned.

Plenty of wildlife, time in the red dirt, and lots of friendly fellow road trippers.

But the $3,000 coffee caught me by surprise.

I’d stopped in the small town of Blinman, boasting a population of thirty five, for a coffee and to sample some of the bakery’s finest. 

Strolling the main street, I spotted this sign.

Being a huge fan of Indigenous art, I jumped back in the van and drove a...

Can I share something with you about my toilet?

It's about the buttons, which look like this...

If you wanted to use the half flush, which button would you press?

The button on the left, or the button on the right?

.....

The fact that I'm asking suggests there is a problem here, doesn't it? The correct button should be obvious.

And indeed, the button on the right, the smaller button, is for a half flush.

So why do I find myself continually pressing the larger button on the...

There’s a communications paradox in most businesses. 

Staff say their bosses never tell them anything.

Bosses say staff are being bombarded.

What’s going on here?

Back when I was working in corporates, we’d all go through an employee engagement survey, usually every year or two. You might have experienced one of these?

A survey that asks people what they think of the company they’re working in, and how their leaders are performing.

Invariably, one of the...