Thread Triage: The Three-Reply Rule

Most bad emails are well-written messages sent through the wrong pipe. Pick a situation, then play it out one round at a time — each turn you choose email, a call, a conversation-plus-summary, an urgent escalation, or holding the message — and watch what it costs in days, in goodwill, and in whether a record survives. Reach a decision in as few rounds as you can, and notice which situations email simply cannot close.