Peeling the onion: Remove the layers to communicate effectively

Trying to be more effective in your communications? I am giving a talk this week to 140 business professionals and executives on just how to achieve this and I thought you might enjoy the highlights.

1. Consider your audience. Different generations, cultures and personality styles all influence how communications are received. Take some time to consider your audience, and how to ensure any communications are clearly received.

2. What is the best vehicle for your message? Is it best to deliver your message  verbally, or will a written message (i.e. such as email or text) suffice? Determining the vehicle requires you first consider question #1.

3. Ensure your message is received in the manner intended. If you have doubts relative to how others are receiving your message, ask for clarification! If I pickup cues from others during a discussion that suggests they do not understand or like what I am saying (i.e. eye contact is lost) I will often stop and ask if what I am saying makes sense. Now, there may be circumstances where you don’t care if the receiver understands your message, fair enough. But typically I would guess that’s not the case, so make sure you confirm.

You might think these are somewhat common sense, and I would agree. The problem with common sense however is that sometimes it is not so common. With the influences around us it can seem senseless to invest any time in giving thought to what we are about to say, but the repercussions of not giving this thought can be far more significant than any amount of time that you might have to invest.

© Shawn Casemore 2012. All rights reserved.