The reply game: say it professionally at work

Three replies, and only one gets your way

Each situation comes with three replies. One is the blunt thought you would type on a bad day. One caves, and the work lands back on your desk. One gets you what you want and still sounds like someone people invite to meetings. Pick that one.

The line in pen over the replies says what you are after, such as a report off your desk without a fight. Once you pick, the sticky note says what the right reply did.

Scoring a run

A right reply is worth 100 points, and each one in a row pays 25 more than the one before, so the third straight hit is worth 150. Miss one and the streak starts again from nothing. Eight out of eight comes to 1,500.

Everyone gets the same eight each day, and a new set turns up at midnight wherever you are. Solo rounds deal fresh situations any time. Read the room hides the line in pen, so you work out what you want from the situation alone. First week, a solo round, sticks to situations anyone could handle in their first week.

The week gets harder

Early in the week the reply that caves plainly caves. Later on it starts to sound professional too, and only misses a date, an owner or a direct ask. That is the version that gets past people in real offices.

The blunt line and the right reply in every situation come from the how to professionally say phrasebook, where each of its 200 blunt thoughts sits next to the line you would send. The phrasebook is the cheat sheet. The game is the part where nobody lets you look at it.

When the reply you need is a whole email, the funny email sign-offs cover the last line, and per my last email covers the follow-up nobody wants to send.