I've found this change can be beneficial even in non-email formats like chat. I have a few theories as to why: 1. When you front-load the explanation before th

I've found this change can be beneficial even in non-email formats like chat. I have a few theories as to why: 1. When you front-load the explanation before the thing you're explaining (the request), the reader doesn't make the mental connection, so the explanation doesn't do its job well. It functions similar to a thesis statement in writing. 2. People want you to get to the point. The essential part of the message is that you want them to do something. Burying it under a long preface comes across as wasting their time and lessens their confidence that the request will be a good use of their time. 3. People have short attention spans, and if they don't find something actionable in a message quickly, they'll just say, "This seems like a Big Thing — I'll come back to this later."