How to check for understanding without sounding like an a*hole


We've all been on both sides of the same failed exchange. You finish explaining something, ask if there are questions, and receive confident nods all around. Three days later, your inbox is flooded with the same question asked 12 different ways. Or the reverse: someone walks you through a process, you nod along because stopping them feels awkward, and the moment they leave, you think...THAT could've been a shorter meeting. Do they think I don't know what I'm doing? The miscommunication runs...