“Feel Free to…” vs. “Please…”

I have recently been giving much more pointed focus to my communications, the language that I use and its effectiveness, different writing styles, etc.

One thing I have noticed is that I often say “feel free to…” and then an action that I wish for the other person to take.  For example:

• Feel free to call me next Tuesday afternoon.
• Feel free to give me feedback on the document.
• Feel free to do X if Y.

The situation here is that your request is that the person “feel free.”  That is it.  That is the extent of the request.

Where this is problematic is that you do not usually want someone to simply “feel free.”  Usually, this kind of request is has been made for the sake of taking some action.  Not to simply “feel free.”

It is not effective to request that someone feel free.  (…unless you are in a spiritual setting or yoga studio, perhaps.)  It is effective to request that someone take action.

The solution here is a simple change of wording, from “feel free to” to “please,” or even leave it out, depending on the situation.

The request becomes more direct, clear, and purposeful.

• Call me next Tuesday afternoon.
• Please give me feedback on the document.
• Do X if Y.
• Please eliminate “feel free to” from the structure of your requests.