A colleague says your update was unclear. You immediately want to explain how little time you had. That context may matter, but it does not yet tell you what the reader could not understand.
Start with the example: ‘Which part left you unsure about the next step?’ Then reflect the issue as you understand it: ‘So the deadline was clear, but the owner of the task wasn’t.’
Once you understand the feedback, you can explain relevant constraints or disagree with a specific point. Listening first does not require accepting every judgment. It gives you a more precise claim to respond to.
If a change is warranted, name it: ‘I’ll include the owner beside each action in the next update.’ A concrete adjustment is more useful than promising vaguely to communicate better.
If the feedback is too broad, ask for an observable example rather than debating a label such as careless or unprofessional.
Try separating your response into understanding, assessment and action. You may discover that the useful part of the feedback is smaller and more manageable than the initial wording suggested. Giving the other person’s experience a fair hearing can improve the message without requiring you to surrender your own account of what happened.