communicating effectively, knowing your audience

Recently, I wanted to thank a new contact in her early 30s (or possibly younger) for an introduction to an executive leader of a startup organization. She was direct and responsive, traits that are often in short supply these days. After several messages back and forth, I decided to thank her for her diligence and follow-through. She had been communicating with me at nearly 12 midnight, and I wanted to thank her for it. So, I jotted down the phrase "burning the midnight oil", referring to the late night effort she was putting in.

I thought about it, and the more I thought about it, I began to realize that maybe she would not recognize this phrase, and using it would do more harm than good to a new, budding contact.
​
I have learned this recently, in my role as a professor at Rutgers University. To not assume that students have heard of phrases and terms that I know or take for granted.
And now, I check. I check with myself. I check with the recipient - just to make sure.

And so, it was this way with my email - instead of sending it off, I decided to rein in my attempt at humour - because one never really knows how it comes across anyways.
​
I never would have thought about doing it this way. But thanks to a pause and a second thought, I did. And, I'm glad for thinking about how to best communicate with a new person in my professional life. It portends effective #communication in the future.