Confirming Understanding (So Work Doesn’t Drift)

What most people get wrong: They ask “Does that make sense?” and get a polite “yes” — even when the other person is unsure. Clarity isn’t a vibe. You need a quick check that proves you’re aligned.

A better approach: confirm in a way that’s easy and low-pressure. 

Here are a few go-to moves:

• Use a replay, not a yes/no
  
  • Try: “Just to confirm, here’s what I heard…” then restate in one sentence.
• Ask for a short paraphrase
  
  • Try: “Could you repeat back the plan in your words, just so I know I explained it clearly?”
• Confirm the three things that usually break
  
  • Owner: who’s doing it
  • Definition of done: what ‘good’ looks like
  • Timing: when it’s due
• Write it down in one line
  
  • End with a one-sentence recap in Slack/email: “Recap: you’ll __ by __, and success looks like __.”

If you want to go deeper with your team, we recommend exploring our full toolkit, which includes a workshop on Good Workplace Communication Skills. You can purchase the toolkit for $249 here. 

With these strategies, you can turn what feels like small check-ins into powerful alignment tools — and keep work from drifting off course.