But if push comes to shove, a follow-up note may be the only way to confirm your comprehension. If we run out of time to play back what we’ve heard or have only limited access to our conversation partner, the written word can help. If you go this route, keep things short and to the point: a simple “Recapping what I think I heard earlier, it sounds like . . .” will do. In a note to her director, my friend outlined what she had heard and proposed next steps given their chat, adding, “Can you confirm if I’ve got it right?” That made it very easy for the director to quickly respond and reassure
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