| Effective communication skills come from | | | | to write them down and read them back to you. |
| following the rules and the rules start with you | | | | 3. Be as specific in your speech as possible. |
| being 100% Responsible for the success of all of | | | | Eliminate pronouns, name things specifically, use |
| your communications! | | | | dates and deadlines as in 'how many by when'. "I |
| WARNING - this topic, Effective Communication | | | | want Tom to make 30 outbound sales calls to |
| Skills Through 100% Responsibility, calls for a | | | | active clients by 5 PM today. By 'active' I mean |
| temporary 'suspension of disbelief'. What is a | | | | clients that we are currently invoicing. This is |
| 'suspension of disbelief'? In theatre it is the ability | | | | non-negotiable and I want Tom in my office |
| to sit in a dark box, in uncomfortable seats and | | | | before he leaves today to let me know this is |
| become so involved in a scene that you are | | | | complete. If I'm not in my office he can't leave |
| temporarily transported to the balcony outside of | | | | until he finds me and we speak of this face to |
| Juliet's house or on the battlefield at Agincourt. | | | | face." As opposed to 'tell him I want 30 calls |
| Similarly, taking 100% responsibility in | | | | today and I want to be updated'. |
| communication is 'make believe' and is a tool to | | | | 4. Before you begin speaking to a team or a |
| help you create more effective communications. | | | | group ask them if they are fully 'present'. "Does |
| It is not real and you won't be able to make | | | | anyone have anything on their mind that will keep |
| everyone bend to your will, see it 'your way' or | | | | them from focusing on our meeting and our |
| say 'yes' to everything you want. It will, however, | | | | discussion?" |
| make you way more powerful in all of these: use | | | | 5. Do periodic check-ins, "Are you with me? Any |
| with caution! | | | | questions on what I just said?" |
| What are the common communication barriers | | | | 6. Send after meeting notes with a request for a |
| and the communication breakdowns we most | | | | 'read and understood' reply (by when?) |
| often face? The often sound like the following | | | | 7. Eliminate 2nd or 3rd party communications. |
| statements. | | | | Don't ask someone to deliver a message if it's |
| - I thought you said... | | | | urgent. If you're empowering a subordinate ask |
| - What I heard was... | | | | them for a bullet point of their presentation |
| - I wasn't sure what you meant but I didn't want | | | | before they deliver it. |
| to interrupt | | | | 8. Label your communications before you start. |
| - Oh, I wasn't paying attention at that point I | | | | This way you won't catch anyone off guard and |
| guess... | | | | have them split their focus while you're talking |
| - She said that you said... | | | | between what you're saying and mentally |
| - Oh, I assumed that you meant... | | | | 'regrouping'. "Before we start I want you to know |
| So how, in the face of those breakdowns do you | | | | that this is a conversation about you not |
| communicate at 100%? | | | | delivering according to our expectations..." |
| Try these 10 simple steps and you'll see how | | | | 9. Make pre-meeting or pre-conversations notes |
| your communication skills will improve. You'll also | | | | to help you organize your thoughts and share |
| save a lot of time by getting yourself 'heard' the | | | | them more clearly. |
| first time! | | | | 10. Get in the habit of asking, at the conclusion of |
| | | | every communication or meeting, 'Was this |
| 1. When giving someone instructions stop and ask | | | | effective for you?', 'Did you feel that I |
| them what they just heard. | | | | communicated clearly with you', 'Was my |
| 2. When giving someone expectations ask them | | | | communication done with care and respect? |