Reply to a Difficult Email
Added 2026-10-31
Acknowledge the emotion, then give facts and next steps; do not argue by email.
I received a tense email and need to reply. I will give the original and my position. Write a reply: 1) first paragraph acknowledges their concern without defending; 2) second states the facts, marking uncertain items as to be verified; 3) one clear next step and timing; 4) if a call would help, propose it with two time windows; 5) close professionally. Under 250 words.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
邮件里赢了争论，往往输掉关系。
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three columns: conclusion, owner, deadline — ready to paste into a table.
- Let it organise only your notes; do not add decisions that were never made.
What you should get
- Task list with owner, deadline and blocker
- Escalations that need a decision, listed separately
Common mistakes
- Feeding raw notes and letting it fill in decisions that were never made.
- Getting owners without deadlines, so no task can be created.
How to check the output
- Every item has an owner and a date — ready to become a task.
- It does not record decisions that were never made.
Where it works
- Good for: turning verbal discussion into owner, deadline and blocker.
- Watch out: let it organise only the notes you supply — never let it infer decisions that were not made.