Most breakdowns aren’t dramatic; they’re misunderstandings. The Return Receipt is a short, repeatable discipline: whenever you accept or delegate a task, ask the recipient for a single‑line confirmation that restates the who, what, and the observable outcome. That tiny requirement forces clarity, shifts responsibility, and prevents slow erosion of standards. In this episode James explains the logic—clarity reduces negotiation—and gives three one‑line confirmation templates (work handoff, family task, informal favor), tonal notes so the request lands generous not pedantic, and a 60‑second script to lock the habit in the morning. You’ll get a simple two‑day micro‑trial (collect confirmations, note follow‑through), measurement rules (confirmation received? yes/no; outcome observed? yes/no), and brief troubleshooting when confirmations are vague or resisted. Practical, low‑ego, and immediately usable: require one line back and let agreements do the heavy lifting for your standards. If this matters to you, subscribe and try one Return Receipt tomorrow.