Clear impactful communication should never be an afterthought.
Whether you like it or not, your business depends on people. People who buy your products and services to use them, i.e. “consumers” and people who use your products and services to sell their own, i.e. “B2B customers”. And don’t forget the people who make your business possible – those hardworking individuals who lend their skills and talents to produce your company’s products or services that ultimately drive revenue – your workforce.
With people being at the heart of your business (and the target as well), communication should always be a top priority for a growing business. Let’s face it – if you’re even moderately successful, you’ve already been able to “speak” to your target audience in a way that resonates with them. That’s great! Give yourself a high five.
Now, what about your internal team? Do you spend hours a day making sure your emails resonate with every employee? Not likely, and that’s ok. But when you’re crafting a company-wide communication, whether it be a presentation, documentation of a new policy or process, or even just an email, take the time to consider these three things before “hitting send” or putting something out there for all to see – and interpret however they choose.
1 - Context
Don’t assume that everyone in your company has the same level of knowledge about what is going on in your business or the acumen to understand the impacts. Even if they do, they may not necessarily care. If preparing a broad-reaching communication, make sure to include a brief, high-level background on why this is important to everyone. Leave out the granular details and focus on the big picture. Make sure the impact of your message on those receiving it is clear – and concise. That’s really what they care about anyway.
2 - Clarity
You’re busy, so you just want to create the presentation…send the email…check another item off your list – right? Odds are the people receiving your communication are just as busy. According to a study conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of Grammarly, 82% of business leaders felt confident in the clarity of their communications with direct reports, but only 68% of those receiving the communications agreed. It further found that “business leaders estimate their teams lose an average of 7.47 hours per week to poor communication.” That’s almost a full day of lost productivity.
Taking a moment to make sure your message is clear and unlikely to be interpreted in ten different ways will save you and your team time in the long run. It will also reduce any feelings of angst that your team may have due to misinterpreting your message.
Here's a simple trick you can use to test the clarity of your communication. Take a step back and slowly read your email or slides out loud. If they sound different than what you had intended, you know you need to rewrite and maybe even rethink what you want to say.
Also, if you have time, especially for a company-wide presentation, review it with others you know will give you honest feedback. If you tend to be sensitive about receiving feedback (you know who you are), presenting it to your test audience as a “draft” can take the pressure off any criticism you might receive.
3 - Tone
How you deliver your message is just as important as the actual message itself. It’s important to always be honest and use appropriate emotion in your communications. Still, you’re a leader and you need to remember that. Be excited when celebrating a huge win or reaching a milestone. Take a more serious or muted approach when delivering news like layoffs or addressing concerns about losing a client.
What about using humor?
We are all products of our own experiences. While most people have a sense of humor, it can differ greatly from person to person. As a leader or the leader of the company, your communications should always be respectful.
Hint: Just because everyone laughs at your joke, doesn’t mean they think it’s funny. Remember, you’re the “boss.”
No matter what, you can’t go wrong taking the high road and being genuine.
By keeping these three things in mind when crafting your message, you will be well on your way to creating clear and compelling communications. And hopefully inspire and lead your team toward a successful future together.
Comments