CLEAR AI: RushTree's Game Changing Communication Protocol

The C.L.E.A.R. Communication Protocol?

Efficient Communication for Teams That Deliver

Why It Matters: Poor?communication wastes time and money. Small companies lose $62.4 million annually from (communication) breakdowns, [1] and $37 billion yearly in large firms alone, [2]. The C.L.E.A.R. protocol provides practical, flexible guidelines to keep teams aligned and productive.? Use AI as a support tool to quickly enhance your messaging for effectiveness, never to replace you in the driver’s seat.

C.L.E.A.R.:? 5 Quick Steps

C? Clarify Intent: Pick the Right Channel

• Email: Formal updates, approvals, or external messages.Tip: Use bullets, bold action items.
• AI Use: Draft initial emails or suggest concise phrasing, review for tone and intent.

• Chat: Quick internal pings or yes-or-no questions.Tip: Cap at 3-5 messages; escalate if needed.??
• AI Use: Generate short replies, edit for context.

• Phone: Urgent or sensitive issues. Tip: Log key points after.
• AI Use: Not recommended, requires real-time human judgment.

L ? Leverage Tools:? Record for Async Clarity

• Screen Recordings: Demos, updates, or troubleshooting. Tip: Add a short text summary.
• AI Use: Create transcripts or summaries, verify accuracy.

• Skip:? Live explanations, record instead.

E ? Engage Smart: Reserve Meetings for Impact

• Video Calls: Strategy, alignment, or critical external talks. Tip: Set an agenda; email action items after.
• AI Use:? Summarize meeting notes post-call, refine for clarity.

• Skip: Routine updates, use async tools.

A? ? Act Fast: Escalate Right

• Act quickly to escalate issues when needed.
• Choose the right method based on urgency and sensitivity.
• Use phone or direct contact for critical, time-sensitive matters.
• Avoid delays by addressing blockers immediately.
• Log escalations in email or chat for clarity and follow-up.
• Rely on human judgment for escalation decisions, not AI.

R ? Reduce Noise: Prioritize Efficiency

• Prefer async (recordings, email) over interruptions.
• Log decisions in email/chat.
• Use AI to draft, summarize, or refine messages, but always review for accuracy and appropriateness.
• Drafting: Kickstart emails or chats with AI-generated text.
• Summarizing: Condense long threads or recordings.
• Refining: Check grammar, tone, or brevity.
• Avoid AI For: Sensitive/urgent issues needing human nuance.

Ask: “Can this wait or be recorded?”

At-a-Glance Guide

• Email: Formal, documented. AI: Drafts, refinements.
• Chat: Fast, internal. AI: Quick replies.
• Phone: Urgent, direct. AI: Avoid.
• Recordings: Visual, async. AI: Summaries.
• Video Calls: Strategic, rare. AI: Post-meeting notes.

Adopt C.L.E.A.R.:? cut chaos, boost results.

AI? is your co-pilot, not your captain. Use it to draft messages, summarize content, or polish tone when time is tight or clarity is key, such as crafting emails, condensing threads, or prepping async updates. Avoid it for sensitive, urgent, or complex decisions where human judgment shines. Stay in control, and let AI enhance your communication, not drive it.

SOURCES

[1]: Economist Intelligence Unit. (2018). Communication Barriers in the Modern Workplace. [2]: Holmes Report. (2011). The Cost of Poor Communications.

RushTree uses acronyms, frameworks and mantras to simplify complex concepts for clients and families to understand and adopt quickly. We created the CLEAR framework to make the new "rules of engagement" with AI in business communications and consulted with GPT 4o and GROK3 for guidance on appropriate AI use, as well as critiquing of the draft article.

KEY TAKEAWAY

This is a quick academic book promo, but it provides a few useful examples of how to use AI effectively in business communication.

If you found this information helpful, please be sure to like, subscribe and share this article.

Thank you,

Paul

Paul Blocchi

Founder

rushtree.com