Via email, I suggested to a colleague that we should take action on an item “sooner than later”.

But before I sent the message, I made an adjustment.

The new text — “today or tomorrow” — established a goal, and it’s the target I intended to suggest.

“Sooner than later” was a doughy, noncommittal signal that the action was unimportant.

* * *

Setting a clear timeline isn’t about being pushy; it’s part of being effective.