If volunteers keep asking questions after you send ‘clear’ emails, this might be why.

Communicate: clearly communicate with a multitude of personalities, learning styles, modes of communication.

How many times have you said something to have the other person say a response that is not what you expected, but when you think about it in a different way, the response does make sense to what you said or asked? Literal vs figurative. Which are you? When you send an email that seems perfectly clear to you, do some volunteers still ask questions? You may be having a “translation” breakdown.

I have now learned to re-read my emails and ask, if I were literal, how would I read this. Sometimes I’ll have someone who is literal minded to read it (if not confidential, of course). Instructions on how to do something need to be reviewed by several different people of a variety of learning and communication styles. They will point out the parts that you just understand, but others need it to be clearly written and explained point by point. What part of this could be better written for you? What communication translation (or misunderstanding) issue have you had? Message me and let’s talk through how to make it more clear!