Communication Clarity
Recently there have been a number of articles written about the lack of clarity in communication. Many of us have been trained that more communication is always better. But…maybe not. What if we could reduce the amount of communication by making our messages more meaningful, understandable, and actionable?
For instance, I have experienced some challenges when reading through email messages that contain a lot of extraneous words and phrasing that are non-essential to the heart of the message. It can be confusing to sift through all the unnecessary content to determine if there is something actionable in the email. Admittedly, I have found myself writing emails that are just too wordy and long. I have since gained the self-awareness to see when I am adding phrasing that is non-essential to the point I am trying to make in my message. By pausing, re-reading the message, and asking myself “Am I focusing on the issue that needs to be addressed and a call to action? Or have I expanded on this message with information that is immaterial?”
Here are some ideas that I wanted to share with you to help you clarify your messaging to help in the overall understanding by the recipient(s):
Review your email messaging, presentations, and other communication materials for any extraneous content that does not support the message you are sharing.
Raise your level of curiosity by asking questions if you do not understand the message or the intent of the message. For instance, if someone is requesting that you complete a task, and you are unsure of the request…just ask. Ask for clarification on the request so that you can “fully understand how best to approach the request.”
Think about the timing of your message. We all know that the timing of our communications can be critical to the delivery, understanding and intake, of the message. Which is why we need to focus on the most timely topic for our messages and limit yourself to one topic and not multiple topics. We don’t want our communications to be confusing.
Using definitions where needed. Many of you know that I like to provide definitions of key terms and phrases that we use throughout the Project Management training courses. I have observed that people may be using the same term, however that term could have different definitions. Using the same definition for terms and phrases is a vital element in successful communication practices. If you are confused by a message that you have received, consider the fact that you may be using a different definition of a term or phrase, than the person who sent the message.
With over 360 billion emails being sent every day, around the world, wouldn’t it be a great idea to increase our level of efficiency with our messaging? What tips do you have to share about your own communication style? We can do this.
