This post was written by Lauren St. Germain, Facilitator and Coach at The Latimer Group.
I love Winnie the Pooh. So much so that I’ve got a collection of quotes from his stories by A. A. Milne on the coffee table in my living room. It’s a little green book called Pooh’s Little Instruction Book and I read through it on days when I need a quick smile or a bit of inspiration from my favorite little bear.
Recently, I reread one of the quotes and immediately thought about how much it related to the work we do here at The Latimer Group. This one is from Pooh’s friend, Eeyore, who said:
“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”
It’s so simple and so true! Especially regarding communication. Because if you want to become a more persuasive communicator, you’ve got to become a more considerate communicator. So, what are some ways you can do so? Below are five easy ways you can be more considerate when preparing for your next presentation, email, or conversation.
- Consider your audience’s goals – Ask yourself: What are their goals and what do they hope to accomplish? How do their goals align (or not align) with yours?
- Consider your audience’s background – Ask yourself: How familiar are they with the topic I am about to present? Do I need to provide more context? Do they need a bit of history on the topic?
- Consider ways your audience will agree or disagree – Ask yourself: Which of your key points will your audience agree with? Disagree with? How can you proactively address any of these disagreements in your presentation?
- Consider your audience’s willingness to act – Ask yourself: How challenging will it be for the audience to agree with what you’re asking for? Is this an easy “yes”? Or difficult topic to discuss?
- Consider your audience’s priorities – Ask yourself: What is most important to them right now? What is on their top of mind? Does my request align with those priorities?
Try one (or more) of these strategies and tell us, did it make a difference in your communication?
Does your team:
– Take too long to make decision?
– Fail to ask for what it wants or needs from you?
– Make things too complicated?
– Deliver unconvincing or disorganized presentations?
– Have new hires who are unprepared to communicate in the workplace?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication.
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