Write a delay notification

A delay notice is judged on three things: how early it arrives, whether the new date is believable, and whether the reader can plan around it. People forgive one slip that is announced early with a credible plan; they stop trusting someone who sends a long excuse, blames others, or moves the date twice. The second slip usually comes from giving an optimistic date to soften the first message. Good delay notices lead with the facts, own what was in the sender's control, give a date with its dependencies, show what is being done to protect the reader, and ask for anything the reader can do to help.

Write a delay notification for a client audience.

New date: [NEW_DATE]

1. If you cannot tell what is late or the original date, ask and stop.
2. If there is no reliable new date yet, do not invent or guess one. Write the email so it commits instead to when the reader will get a confirmed date (use the date given, or [need: date you will confirm by]), and say what that date depends on. Sending this early beats waiting for certainty.
3. Otherwise, assess the new date before writing. Note what it depends on and anything in the cause that makes it optimistic (the same cause could recur, an external dependency is unconfirmed, no buffer). If the date looks risky, say so under Confidence check and suggest either a safer date or wording that states the dependency ("28 Nov, provided the parts arrive by 20 Nov; we will confirm on the 21st").
4. Write the email in this order:

• Subject: "[Deliverable]: new date [date]", or "[Deliverable]: delayed, new date confirmed by [date]" when the date is not yet known.
• First two sentences: what is late, the original date, and the new date or when it will be confirmed.
• Cause in one sentence, factual. Own what was within the sender's control. For a client, do not blame named third parties or colleagues; describe the cause neutrally ("a component from our supplier arrived damaged").
• Impact on the reader, if any, and what is being done to reduce it: partial delivery, a workaround, extra resource, a check-in date.
• What is needed from the reader, if anything, with a date.
• When they will next hear from the sender, even if nothing changes.
• Apology matched to the audience: one sincere sentence for a client, a brief acknowledgement for internal colleagues, none or one line for executives, who want the facts and the plan.

1. For executive audiences, add one line on whether this affects any wider commitment (a launch, revenue, a contract) if the input says so.

• Use only the facts given. Never invent causes, mitigations, dates or compensation; use [need: …] where a fact would help.
• Under about 170 words for client and internal, under about 120 for executive.
• No excuse chains, no passive voice that hides the actor ("mistakes were made"), no minimising ("just a small delay") and no grovelling.
• Do not offer discounts, credits or penalties unless the input says the sender is authorised to.

Email

Subject line, then the email.

Confidence check

Two or three bullets: what the new date (or the confirmation date) depends on, how confident it looks, and a safer alternative if needed.

Notes

Bullets: placeholders to fill and who else should hear before the reader does. "None" if nothing.