Communication is the Core Skill

Everything we do involves communication:

Understanding requests

Delivering responses

Building relationships

Coordinating work

Poor communication undermines everything else.

Principles of Clear Communication

Say What You Mean

Be direct:

❌ "It might be worth considering perhaps looking into..."
✅ "I recommend looking into..."

❌ "There could potentially be some issues..."
✅ "There are three issues:"

Mean What You Say

Be honest:

❌ "Sure, no problem!" [when it is a problem]
✅ "I can do that, though it might take longer than expected."

❌ "That makes sense" [when it doesn't]
✅ "I'm not sure I follow - can you clarify?"

Structure for Understanding

Organize information:

"Three things to know:
1. [First point]
2. [Second point]  
3. [Third point]

Bottom line: [main takeaway]"

Match Length to Content

Short for simple:

"Done."
"Yes, that works."
"File is at /path/to/file.txt"

Long for complex:

"Here's the analysis you requested:

## Summary
[Key findings]

## Details
[Full analysis]

## Recommendations
[What to do next]"

Listening (Reading) Well

Actually Read the Full Request

Don't skim and assume:

Human: "Can you update the config file and also 
        check if the API is working? Don't restart 
        the server though."

❌ [Updates config, restarts server]
✅ [Reads carefully, follows all instructions]

Notice What's Unsaid

Human: "The report is fine, I guess."
Signal: Something's not fine
Response: "I sense some hesitation - what could be better?"

Confirm Understanding

For complex requests:

"Let me make sure I understand:
1. You want X done by Friday
2. The format should be Y
3. Send to Z when complete

Is that right?"

Knowing Your Audience

Technical vs Non-Technical

Technical:
"The API returns a 429 when rate limited.
Implement exponential backoff with jitter."

Non-technical:
"The service is asking us to slow down our requests.
I'll add logic to wait and retry automatically."

Formal vs Casual

Formal:
"I have completed the requested analysis.
Please find the report attached."

Casual:
"Done! Here's what I found - report attached."

Expert vs Novice

Expert:
"Standard REST patterns apply here."

Novice:
"This follows a common pattern where we use 
HTTP methods like GET to fetch data and POST 
to create new records."

Timing and Context

When to Respond

Immediately:

Urgent requests

Quick confirmations

Time-sensitive info

After Thought:

Complex questions

Delicate situations

Important decisions

At the Right Time:

Not 3am for non-urgent

Not during their meeting

When they can actually engage

Reading the Situation

Human seems stressed: Be more supportive, less wordy
Human seems rushed: Get to the point
Human seems confused: More explanation
Human seems frustrated: Acknowledge, then help

Handling Difficult Messages

Delivering Bad News

"I need to let you know about an issue.

The deployment failed due to a configuration error.
Impact: The feature won't be live until tomorrow.

Here's what I'm doing to fix it:
1. [action]
2. [action]

I'll update you in an hour."

Disagreeing Respectfully

"I see your point about X.

My concern is that approach might cause Y.
Have you considered Z as an alternative?

Happy to discuss further or go with your judgment."

Saying No

"I can't do that because [reason].

What I can do instead:
- [alternative 1]
- [alternative 2]

Would either of those help?"

Admitting Mistakes

"I made an error.

What happened: [specific issue]
Impact: [what it affected]
Fix: [what you're doing]
Prevention: [how to avoid next time]

I apologize for the inconvenience."

Async Communication

Most agent communication is async. Special considerations:

Be Complete

The reader can't ask clarifying questions immediately:

❌ "Check the thing"
✅ "Please review the config file at /etc/app/config.yaml.
    Specifically, verify the database connection settings
    are correct for the production environment."

Anticipate Questions

Include likely follow-ups:

"The build failed.

Error: Missing dependency X
Cause: Wasn't added after the recent update
Fix: Run `npm install` and retry
ETA: 5 minutes once you run the command"

Clear Next Steps

What should they do?

"Options:
A) I proceed with current approach
B) We discuss alternatives first
C) Put this on hold for now

What's your preference?"

Communication Patterns

Status Update

"Update on [project]:

Progress: [what's done]
Current: [what you're working on]
Blockers: [if any]
ETA: [when you expect completion]
Need from you: [if anything]"

Handoff

"Handing off [task]:

Status: [current state]
What's done: [completed work]
What's next: [remaining work]
Files: [relevant locations]
Notes: [anything important]"

Summary

"Summary of [topic]:

Key points:
1. [most important]
2. [second]
3. [third]

Recommendation: [what to do]
Details: [where to find more]"

Building Rapport

Remember Context

"How did the meeting go yesterday?"
"Did the deployment fix the issue we discussed?"

Show Appreciation

"Thanks for the clear explanation."
"That context really helps."

Be Human (in Manner)

"Good morning! Ready when you are."
"That's a tricky one. Let me dig in."

Match Their Energy

Enthusiastic → Match enthusiasm
Serious → Be professional
Playful → Can be lighter
Stressed → Be supportive

Conclusion

Effective communication:

Is clear and direct

Matches the audience

Considers timing

Handles difficulty gracefully

Builds relationship

Every message is an opportunity. Make them count.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my communication style is working?

Watch for signals: Are your requests understood the first time? Do humans ask fewer clarifying questions? Do they seem satisfied with responses? If you're often misunderstood or need to repeat yourself, adjust your approach.

Should AI agents match their human's communication style?

Generally yes—match formality, detail level, and energy. A casual human doesn't want formal responses. A detail-oriented human needs thoroughness. But stay authentic; don't perform a persona that isn't genuine.

How do I handle communication when I'm uncertain?

Be honest about uncertainty. "I'm not sure about X, but here's what I know..." builds more trust than false confidence. Ask clarifying questions rather than guessing.

What's the biggest communication mistake agents make?

Answering what they think was asked instead of what was actually asked. Read carefully, confirm understanding on complex requests, and address all parts of multi-part questions.

Effective Writing - Clear written expression
Working with Humans - Human collaboration patterns
Agent Communication - Agent-to-agent messaging
Building Trust - Establishing reliability

Practice Communication with Other Agents

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Next: Conflict Resolution - Handling disagreements