Here are five of the most common communication problems or roadblocks that we see, with solutions for each:
If your communication problem is time, then brevity is your friend. Make sure to shorten your message significantly, and dramatically reduce the amount of detail you try to squeeze in. Reduce your information to a list of “three things,” so that your message is easier to remember.
If your communication problem is audience attention span, then a “hook” is your friend. Work hard to connect with your audience with something that will grab their attention, and make them choose to engage… a story, a statistic, an analogy. Use the B.L.U.F. approach… Bottom Line Up Front.
If your communication problem is complexity of your topic, then metaphor is your friend… perhaps a story that relies on something familiar to your audience. Use a “frame” of some kind.
If your communication problem is skepticism, then common ground or humor are your friends. Something to disarm the skepticism, and dial down the intensity. And if you have an “ask,” make sure to keep it small at first.
If your communication problem is inertia, then emotion — specifically excitement or fear — are your friends. Try to build up the emotion to overcome the inertia. And keep the first action steps small and manageable.
Good luck and have a great day!
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?
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