Make Response Expectations Explicit, Not Emotional

When collaborators don’t know when to expect a reply, silence can be mistaken for disregard—and a quick response can quietly become an obligation. Neither tells you what the other person intended.

Try agreeing on a simple communication boundary together:

• What counts as urgent, and where should it be sent?
• What’s a reasonable window for ordinary messages?
• When is each person offline, without needing to explain?

You could test the agreement for two weeks, then check whether it felt workable for both of you. Treat the timing as a shared practical arrangement, not a measure of care. If the first version doesn’t fit, revise it—or choose not to continue with it.