Communication problems and lack of clarity are the most common issues that my clients face, whether they are CEO’s or mid-level managers. They all think they are good communicators, yet lack of communication is always what gets them in trouble. Several scenarios always seem to commonly occur in their communication missteps:
Leaders routinely misstep in their communications
- There is a difference between what was said, and what was heard.
- The communication was too vague and didn’t contain enough clarity.
- The transfer of information didn’t actually occur at all.
All three are more common than you think and lack of clarity seems to be the common denominator. When you focus on the clarity of your message, you increase the likelihood that you’ll get it right the first time. Deb Calbert gives tips for clarifying your message in her article 7 tips for Communicating with Clarity .
In addition, here are a list of questions to consider when you prepare any plan, or communication.
Questions to answer for communication with clarity
- Who is involved? Who is executing and who owns the plan? Who is accountable and who is responsible? Who are the stakeholders? Who are you communicating to?
- What is the objective? What problem are you trying to solve? What is the solution?
- Where, exactly, is the plan being implemented? Where are we keeping any key documents related to the plan?
- When is the communication occurring? What is the timeline?
- How is the solution being implemented? How are you communicating the plan?
Finally, if you are really thorough, you might also consider the risks involved with the plan, and what you might propose as a Plan B in case your first plan doesn’t work.
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