HeySalad Communication Playbook

---

name: communication-playbook

description: >

World-Class Communication Playbook for HeySalad. Use this skill whenever

any communication task is involved — internal team messages, external emails

to investors/regulators/partners/customers, presentation structuring, written

docs, cross-functional project coordination, meeting facilitation, transparency

decisions, or active listening coaching. Trigger for ANY of the following:

drafting or reviewing emails, Slack messages, investor updates, regulatory

correspondence, pitch decks, slide structure, meeting agendas or notes, RACI

matrices, project kickoff docs, 1-on-1 frameworks, feedback conversations,

conflict resolution, documentation standards, or communication culture advice.

Also trigger when the user asks about tone, channel selection, async comms,

BLUF, Pyramid Principle, meeting cadence, psychological safety, or transparency

norms. If it involves how HeySalad communicates — internally or externally —

use this skill. When in doubt, use it.

---

# HeySalad Communication Playbook

A distillation of world-class communication standards across eight domains.

Apply these principles whenever generating, reviewing, or coaching any form of

communication at HeySalad.

---

QUICK DECISION TREE

Before producing any communication output, identify the domain:

| Domain | When to apply |

|--------|--------------|

| **Internal** | Slack, team emails, async updates, documentation |

| **External** | Investor updates, regulatory comms, customer/partner emails |

| **Presentations** | Pitch decks, demos, all-hands, stakeholder reviews |

| **Written** | Docs, wikis, changelogs, proposals, reports |

| **Cross-functional** | Multi-team projects, RACI, kickoffs, SSOT |

| **Meetings** | Agendas, facilitation, notes, decisions |

| **Transparency** | What to share, how, and with whom |

| **Active Listening** | 1-on-1 coaching, conflict, negotiation, feedback |

Multiple domains often apply simultaneously — use all relevant sections.

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1. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Core Principle: BLUF — Bottom Line Up Front

Every internal message leads with the conclusion. State what you need, then

provide supporting context. Never bury the request.

**Bad:** "Hey, I was looking at the MTN Mobile Money integration and noticed

some latency issues. The logs showed errors around 14:00 UTC yesterday. This

might be affecting settlement. Can you check?"

**Good:** "ACTION NEEDED: MTN Mobile Money settlements may be failing. Logs

show errors at 14:00 UTC — please investigate and report back by EOD. Details

below."

The Four Pillars

Channel Selection

| Channel | Use for | Avoid when |

|---------|---------|-----------|

| Slack/IM | Quick questions, real-time coord | Sensitive topics, complex decisions |

| Email | Formal updates, paper trail needed | Urgent issues, back-and-forth |

| Video Call | Nuanced topics, relationship building | Simple status updates |

| Loom/Async Video | Demos, walkthroughs, one-to-many | Two-way dialogue |

| Written Doc | Decisions, processes, lasting reference | Time-sensitive comms |

| In-Person | Strategy, brainstorming, conflict resolution | Distributed teams |

Async Message Checklist

Before sending any async message confirm:

Culture Norms (embed in any comms coaching)

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2. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

The Five Principles

1. **One Voice** — All external messaging consistent on positioning, numbers, tone

2. **Precision** — No vague language ('soon', 'maybe'). Use specific dates, figures

3. **Professionalism** — Spell-check everything. Match audience formality level

4. **Responsiveness** — Reply within 24 hours. Acknowledge receipt even without full answer

5. **Confidentiality** — Assume all external comms could be forwarded

Investor Updates (monthly cadence)

Structure every investor update as:

1. **Headline** — The single biggest thing that happened this month

2. **Progress** — Key metrics and milestones vs. last month

3. **Challenges** — What is not working and what you are doing about it

4. **Priorities** — Top 3 focus areas for next month

5. **Ask** — One specific way investors can help

> Investors who receive consistent, honest updates — including bad news — are

> far more likely to support you in a crisis than those who only hear from you

> when things are good.

Regulatory Correspondence (FCA / Bank of Zambia / EFIU)

Customer / Partner — Three-Part Response

1. **Acknowledge** — Confirm receipt and understanding

2. **Act or Escalate** — Resolution or clear next step with timeline

3. **Affirm** — Close with confidence: "We have this handled"

---

3. PRESENTATION SKILLS

The Pyramid Principle (use for all presentation structure)

        ┌─────────────────────┐
        │   GOVERNING THOUGHT  │  ← State this within 60 seconds
        └──────────┬──────────┘
         ┌─────────┼─────────┐
    Key Arg 1  Key Arg 2  Key Arg 3
         └─────────┼─────────┘
    Supporting Data / Evidence / Examples

Lead with the answer. Audience should never wonder what you are trying to say.

Slide Design Rules

| Rule | Principle |

|------|-----------|

| One idea per slide | If you say "and also..." you need a new slide |

| Six-by-Six | Max 6 bullets, max 6 words each. Prefer visuals |

| Headline as insight | "Revenue grew 40% MoM" not "Revenue" |

| Consistent visual language | One font, one palette, one icon set |

| The Blank Test | Key message understood in under 5 seconds? |

| Signal not noise | Remove anything decorative that adds no meaning |

Delivery Checklist

Handling Questions

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4. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

The Five Principles

1. **Brevity** — Write the shortest version that conveys the full meaning

2. **Clarity** — Simple, concrete words. Replace technical terms where possible

3. **Specificity** — Not "soon" but "by 17:00 Friday". Not "some users" but "34%"

4. **Active Voice** — "The team deployed the update" not "The update was deployed"

5. **Reader First** — What does the reader need to do or believe after reading this?

Email Structure

1. **Subject** — Specific, action-oriented, front-loaded: "ACTION NEEDED: FCA Submission — 14 March"

2. **Opening** — One sentence of context if needed

3. **BLUF** — Request or key message in 1-2 sentences

4. **Body** — Supporting detail, only what is strictly necessary

5. **Action** — Clear next step: owner, deadline, format

6. **Close** — "Best" or "Thanks" — avoid "Regards"

> Write the subject line last, after you know exactly what the message is about.

Audience Calibration

| Audience | Tone & Style | Avoid |

|----------|-------------|-------|

| Investors | Direct, data-driven, confident. Lead with outcomes | Overselling, vague milestones, buried bad news |

| Regulators | Formal, precise, deferential. Use their terminology | Speculation, informal language |

| Customers | Warm, human, empathetic. Solve in fewest words | Jargon, delay, passing the buck |

| Team | Clear, direct, motivating. Give context and be honest | Corporate speak, vagueness |

| Press/Media | Controlled, strategic, quotable | Off-the-record assumptions |

Documentation Standards

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5. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

RACI Framework (use at the start of every multi-team initiative)

| Role | Definition | Rule |

|------|-----------|------|

| **Responsible** | Does the work | Can be multiple people |

| **Accountable** | Answerable for the outcome | Only ONE person ever |

| **Consulted** | Input sought before decisions | Two-way communication |

| **Informed** | Notified of outcomes | One-way, broadcast only |

> Warning: Multiple people marked as Accountable = no one accountable.

> This is the most common RACI failure.

Project Kickoff — Six Required Answers

1. Why are we doing this? (strategic context and urgency)

2. What does success look like? (specific, measurable outcomes)

3. Who is responsible for what? (RACI clarity)

4. What are the constraints? (timeline, budget, regulatory, technical)

5. How will we communicate? (cadence, channel, escalation path)

6. What are the known risks? (blockers and mitigation plans)

Single Source of Truth (SSOT)

Every cross-functional project must have one designated SSOT — a document,

board, or tool where all decisions, status updates, and changes are recorded.

If it is not in the SSOT, it did not happen.

Conflict Resolution Ladder

1. State the disagreement clearly, without blame: "I see it differently"

2. Identify what each party actually needs (not just what they're asking for)

3. Search for the option that satisfies both underlying needs

4. If unresolved: escalate to Accountable owner with written summary of both positions

5. Accountable owner decides — commit and execute

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6. MEETING FACILITATION

Meeting Taxonomy

| Type | Purpose | Duration | Frequency |

|------|---------|----------|-----------|

| Daily Standup | Done / Next / Blocked | 15 min | Daily |

| Weekly Team Sync | Progress, priorities, blockers | 30-60 min | Weekly |

| 1-on-1 | Relationship, coaching, feedback | 30-45 min | Weekly/biweekly |

| Decision Meeting | Deliberation on a specific decision | Time-boxed | As needed |

| Retrospective | Team process reflection | 60 min | Monthly/per sprint |

| All-Hands | Company update, culture, Q&A | 30-60 min | Monthly |

Before the Meeting

During the Meeting

After the Meeting (within 24 hours)

Meeting notes must include:

Notes shared with all attendees AND all Informed stakeholders.

Actions tracked in a shared system, not just email.

Next meeting begins with review of previous actions.

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7. TRANSPARENCY

Levels of Transparency

| Level | What It Means | Use For |

|-------|--------------|---------|

| Default Open | All information available without asking | Docs, wikis, roadmaps |

| Share on Request | Available to anyone who asks | Sensitive but non-confidential data |

| Need to Know | Restricted to those directly involved | Personnel matters, legal strategy |

| Confidential | Formal agreement required | Board matters, regulatory submissions |

Leadership Transparency Norms

Psychological Safety (prerequisite for transparency)

> Psychological safety is destroyed in seconds and rebuilt over months. One

> disproportionate response to bad news can silence an entire team.

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8. ACTIVE LISTENING

The Three Listening Levels

| Level | Description | Goal |

|-------|-------------|------|

| Level 1 — Internal | Thinking about your own response while the speaker talks | Avoid this |

| Level 2 — Focused | Fully attentive: words, body language, emotional content | Professional baseline |

| Level 3 — Global | Aware of everything including silence and what is not said | High-stakes conversations |

Six Core Techniques

1. **The Pause** — Wait 2-3 seconds before responding. Signals processing, not just waiting.

2. **Reflective Listening** — Repeat back in your own words: "What I'm hearing is X — is that right?"

3. **Clarifying Questions** — "What would that look like in practice?" / "What's driving that concern?"

4. **Acknowledge Without Agreeing** — "I can see why that would feel frustrating" ≠ "You are right"

5. **Non-Verbal Listening** — Eye contact, open posture, camera not screen in video calls

6. **Listen for What Is Not Said** — Missing stakeholders, omitted constraints, avoided topics are data

Common Failure Modes to Avoid

| Failure | What It Looks Like |

|---------|--------------------|

| Preparing your response | Eyes glaze over mid-sentence |

| Filtering | Only hearing what confirms existing beliefs |

| Interrupting | Jumping in before the speaker finishes |

| Advice-giving too soon | Offering solutions before understanding the problem |

| Distraction | Phone visible, notifications on, environment not set up |

Active Listening by Context

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MASTER OUTPUT STANDARDS

When producing any communication output, apply these non-negotiables:

Before Writing Anything

1. Who is the audience?

2. What do they need to believe or do after reading this?

3. What is the ONE key message?

4. What is the right channel and format?

5. What is the deadline / response expectation?

Universal Quality Bar

HeySalad-Specific Context

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COMMON TASK PATTERNS

"Draft an investor update"

→ Use Section 2 investor update formula (5-part structure)

→ Apply Section 4 written communication principles

→ Tone: direct, data-driven, honest including on challenges

"Write a regulatory email / response"

→ Use Section 2 regulatory correspondence rules

→ Formal, precise, deferential, reference numbers included

→ Flag for second-person review before sending

"Structure this presentation / deck"

→ Apply Pyramid Principle from Section 3

→ Governing thought within 60 seconds

→ One idea per slide, headline as insight

"Help me run this meeting"

→ Section 6: check meeting type, apply before/during/after checklists

→ Output: agenda template or meeting notes template

"Set up RACI for this project"

→ Section 5: identify R, A, C, I for each workstream

→ Confirm only ONE Accountable owner

→ Output as table with names assigned

"Review this message / doc"

→ Apply Section 4 written principles

→ Check: BLUF, active voice, specificity, audience calibration, length

→ Return revised version with brief rationale for key changes

"Help with this difficult conversation"

→ Sections 7 (transparency) and 8 (active listening)

→ Apply acknowledgement without agreement technique

→ Coach on listening levels and clarifying questions

"Write a team announcement"

→ Section 1 internal communication norms

→ Lead with the 'why', include context, specify next steps

→ Tone: motivating, honest, clear

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*HeySalad Communication Playbook — v1.0 — 2025*

*Founder & CTO: Peter Machona*