The name of this blog comes from our mission at INFLUENCE: “To empower people with clarity and confidence.”
Our objective is to provide brief but meaningful topics (under 500 words) that inspire, educate and empower leaders through resources both inside and outside of INFLUENCE. This week’s edition is provided by David Salmons.
Good communication has always been key to effective leadership. Add a growing remote workforce, and the need for smart communication skills only increases as we lose the clarifying power of presence.
That said, here’s a quick reminder of four communication basics – for pretty much any communication medium – provided by Rose Eliff, freelance writer and editor. As she notes, whether you’re on a call, writing an email, using video conferencing, or publishing an educational post, these 4 C’s will help you get your message across.
- Be CLEAR. Use the simplest words and most direct phrasings possible. Avoid acronyms or anything that will leave listeners confused. Also, consider your listeners’ level of understanding. What specific context might they need for your information or direction to make sense? Fill in that gap.
- Be CONCISE. In short, be short. Too much detail overwhelms listeners. Avoid too many adjectives or repetitious rephrasings. And when writing, organize with lists, bullet points, or numbers. Remember, often what takes communication up to the next level is simply taking out the clutter.
- Be CORRECT. Check your facts. Avoid embellishment. If you don’t know something, admit it. And don’t bulldoze your way through topics with blind optimism. Your team needs honest, knowledgeable leadership.
- Be COMPASSIONATE. Communicate with kindness. Most people listen to leaders they trust. People are more likely to provide constructive feedback to trusted leaders too. And don’t think that compassion is less important than the previous points. Consider that workers – in an employee-starved market – are increasingly migrating toward organizations where leaders openly show respect and care for their teams. It’s a big deal.
And remember, while these communication basics should be intuitive to most leaders, if you’re creating a written draft of your message, it’s a good idea to hand drafts off to a trusted colleague for review. A second set of eyes – and some additional perspective – almost always makes messages more effective.