Great communication does not just happen. It requires thought, preparation, practice… and it requires a philosophy. There are many philosophies out there in the 21st century business world. But here is what works for us (and our clients tell us it works for them as well):
Great communication requires a few key ingredients, which are the basis of our philosophy: clarity, brevity, context, impact and value. If you are going to communicate effectively in today’s business world, (and by that, we mean, not waste people’s time, and achieve your goals) then you need to think about these five things:
1. Clarity. If your audience has to work hard to understand your point, your communication will underperform. No one will ever say to you, “Please be less clear next time.”
2. Brevity. If your audience is flipping to the end right in the first few minutes, then your story is out of sequence. Don’t keep your audience in suspense. Get to the point!
3. Context. If your audience does not grasp the relevance to them, then you have not provided sufficient context. Relevance is critical.
4. Impact. If your audience does not find your message memorable or impactful, then your message won’t stand out. It is hard to be remembered in 2018. You have to work at it.
5. Value. If your audience does not see value in what you are talking about, it will go in one ear, and out the other, and be quickly forgotten. Don’t tell them why it is valuable to YOU. Tell them why it is valuable to THEM.
We believe in simple concepts. And we believe your communication will benefit from a simple philosophy.
—
Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
Comments