Working with others
Lead with the bottom line
A micro habit for writing messages people can act on the moment they open them
Before you send a message that needs something, move the ask or the answer to the first line, and put the background after it.
- 5 minutes
- You and whoever you're writing to
- Any message that needs something
- Quick
Why this can work
People decide what to do with a message from its first line or two. Most of us write in the order we thought it through, background first and the point last, so the reader has to dig for what we need. Put the point first and everything after it becomes useful context instead of a puzzle.
Read moreHow to write a message with the bottom line up front
You’ll come away with a message whose first line says exactly what you need.
- Find your one sentence.
If they read only the first line, what should it say? Usually it's an ask (can you approve this by Friday?) or an answer (yes, we can ship on the 12th).
Tip: If you can't write that sentence yet, you may not be ready to send. That's useful to know.
- Make it the first line.
Move the warm-up and the story of how you got here below it. A greeting is fine. A paragraph before the point usually isn't.
You“Can you approve the revised budget by Friday? The vendor needs our answer by Monday to hold the price.” - Add only the context they need to act.
Why it matters, what you've already checked, and anything they need in order to decide. Everything else can wait for a question.
- Read the preview before you send.
Look at it the way they will, on a phone between meetings. If the preview alone tells them what you need and by when, send it.
Tip: In email, the subject line can carry the bottom line too.
Good times to repeat it: any message that needs a decisionbefore you send a long emailwhen a thread keeps going without an answer
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
It can feel abrupt if you're used to building up to things. Most readers experience it as considerate, because you haven't made them hunt. Keep the warmth in a greeting or a thanks at the end.
What might make this harder
Lead with it anyway, plainly, and put what happens next right after. A bad-news message that buries the news tends to read as hiding it.
Questions people ask
What does BLUF mean?
Bottom line up front. It's a U.S. military writing convention: put the conclusion, request or recommendation at the start, then the supporting detail. It works well for everyday work messages too.
How do I write a shorter, clearer email?
Start with what you need from the reader, in one sentence, then add only the context they need to act. Most long emails get shorter once the point is at the top.
How do I get people to respond to my messages?
Make the ask visible in the first line, with a date if there is one. People tend to act on what they can see in the preview and park what they have to dig for.
Is it rude to get straight to the point at work?
Usually not. Most people appreciate not having to hunt for the ask, and a friendly greeting covers the warmth.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Most messages are written in the order we thought them through. First what happened, then what we considered, then, finally, what we need. That's natural for the writer and hard on the reader, who has to reach the end to learn why they're reading. An ask that sits in paragraph three often gets parked for later, and later can be a long time.
Think about the other side. Your manager, or the colleague you need something from, is reading between other things, often on a phone, sorting messages into now, later and never. A first line that says what you need and by when lets them sort yours correctly. It also tells them how much of the rest to read. Background that comes after the point is easy to use; background that comes before it is a wall.
The idea has a name in the U.S. military, BLUF, bottom line up front, and it has spread widely into business writing. The version here is the everyday one: one message at a time, starting with the next one that needs something from someone. The hardest part is usually not the writing but knowing your point. If you can't put it in a sentence, that's worth finding out before you send, not after.
A thank-you, a check-in or a hard personal conversation has no bottom line to lead with, and forcing one makes it cold. But for anything that needs a decision, an answer or an action, putting it first is one of the smallest changes you can make that the people around you will actually notice.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Working with others
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Written by Truest, based on Army Regulation 25-50, Preparing and Managing Correspondence (U.S. Department of the Army). Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.