10 Powerful Phrases for Proactive Communication

Proactive communication is one of the most essential skills, especially in an asynchronous remote-first environment. Let’s explore 10 powerful phrases that will help you enhance your proactive communication skills.

1. I’m running (some duration of time) late.

When running late, it is essential to give the others a heads-up (= advance notice) about it to show respect for their time.

Sorry, something urgent came up and I am running about 10 minutes late. We could start a bit later if that works for you or reschedule for another time.

2. (I wanted to give you) a heads-up about

Speaking of giving a heads-up, this is something you need to do on an ongoing basis. Feel free to use this phrase when you have some updates or announcements to share.

I wanted to give you a heads-up regarding the server maintenance scheduled for this Friday at 10 PM.

3. Please note,

This phrase is synonymous with the previous but is slightly more formal.

Please note, our office will be closed on Monday, July 15th, for a company-wide training session.

4. Just so you’re aware…

Another good semi-formal phrase to inform people about changes or updates.

Just so you’re aware, the project deadline has been moved up by two days.

5. I might need to…

This is a great phrase for letting people know about your intentions. Saying “I might need to…” means that you are considering a course of action, but you are not yet certain about it. This phrase leaves room for (= allow opportunity for) flexibility based on new information or decisions.

I might need to format the servers in order for this to work so it may take longer than usual.

6. So far, I have…

Being a proactive communicator means not only keeping people informed about plans and changes for the future but also keeping them updated on what you have done so far. This way, you can address potential questions and avoid back-and-forth (= long exchange of messages).

I may need your help with running the update. So far, I have merged the code and initiated the deployment process. However, I encountered an unexpected issue that requires further troubleshooting.

7. I’m going to go ahead and (do something) if that’s ok.

As a proactive communicator, you may want to get approval from your team before you do a certain action that may impact everyone.

I’m going to go ahead and run the update if that’s ok.

8. Thanks, working on it!

This is a good phrase to let someone know you’ve received their message and are actively addressing this concern or task.

- The menu stopped working on mobile.

9. (I) Will look into it (specific time)!

If you can’t deal with a task or request right away, the polite thing to do is let people know when you’ll be able to take it on.

Thanks for reporting the issue! I will look into it tomorrow.

10. Thanks for letting me know! I will get back to you by/in/within (some time).

If you can’t address a non-urgent question or request, be sure to respond within 24 hours and acknowledge that you’ve received the message and are going to provide a more detailed response later.

- ...Thanks for letting me know. I will get back to you by the end of the week.

Want to learn more useful phrases for professional communication, improve your grammar, and strengthen your speaking skills? Take our Free IT English Lesson.