Attaching a document and simply requesting "Please check this" is an act of dumping various burdens onto the other person all at once, and I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that you should stop doing it.
What does "check" actually mean in "Please check this"?
- Are you looking for typos and checking every single word?
- Are you checking if the logical structure is sound?
- Are you looking at it from a compliance perspective for legal risks?
- Are you checking if the design colors follow the guidelines?
- Are you simply checking if the file opens?
- Should I check if the department head is likely to say OK to pushing Plan A over Plans B and C?
From these infinite possibilities, the person asked must define "checking" for themselves while guessing:
"There's still time before the deadline, so should I just check the general logical flow?"
"The quality is terrible, but the deadline is tomorrow, so do they want me to take over everything?"
...and so on.
I think it's best to view this as an act of throwing a massive cognitive load at the other person.
In my mind, I call those sloppy people who only write "Please check this" "Throwing Monkeys."
Don't use "Please check this" to shift responsibility
What's even worse is the "evasion of responsibility" psychology visible through these words.
You know the quality of the work is low.
But thinking about it any further is a hassle.
Or you lack confidence.
So, for the time being, you just say "Please check this" and throw it to your boss or senior.
So what happens?
If a mistake is discovered later, you have an excuse: "Well, I sent it saying 'Please check this' at that time, and since nothing was said, I thought it was fine."
You throw an unfinished product at someone else to shift the epicenter of any potential disaster away from yourself. That base survival instinct is condensed into that one phrase, "Please check this."
It's at a level where it's disrespectful even to the "Throwing Monkeys"; you should apologize to them.
So, how should you communicate "Please check this"?
- What the document is for
- What the current status is
- Where you want them to look (+ where they don't need to look)
I think it's good to include these three things.
1. What the document is for
First, what is the document for?
- Is it for internal consideration?
- Is it for explaining to a boss?
- Is it something to be sent outside the company?
If you indicate this, the recipient will know what priority to give the document and from what perspective (customer's standpoint, boss's standpoint, etc.) they should check it.
2. What the current status is
Next, communicate what stage the work is in.
- It's just a rough memo I scribbled down.
- It's a draft that's about 70% complete.
- It's the final version just before submission.
Just having this allows the recipient to adjust their "seriousness gear" for reading.
3. Where you want them to look (+ where they don't need to look)
This is the most important part.
Narrow down the points to be checked.
- Please just look for typos.
- Please give me your opinion on the feasibility of the schedule.
- Please check if the parts pointed out last time have been fixed.
- Conversely, you don't need to look here.
It's especially important to indicate "where they don't need to look."
Thinking about this forces you to verbalize "what needs to be confirmed and in what state."
By combining these three, I thought the thought-stopping phrase "Please check this" could be reborn into a proper, decent request.
