A phrase we hear often about relationships and team work, whether in sports or the work environment is, communication is key. The first thought that comes to mind when we hear the words, communication is key, is one person talking to someone else or a group. We might forget there are different ways to communicate. Communication between humans is not only verbal but written and non-verbal. Additionally, there is the speed and the tone of speech, the choice of words, eye contact amongst other things that factor in. There is a lot to think about when communicating. Communication is easy at the surface level but an art when done properly. To be able to create wonderful stories to communicate your idea, everyone needs practice. Communicating your message to an audience with clear intentions and without confusion is not as easy as it may seem. It’s not only what you communicate but how you communicate the message. Nevertheless, with practice and knowing what to apply, it is achievable.
First you need to know how to have clear communication. What does “clear” mean? It can mean different things to everyone and is also dependent on your audience. There is a lot to think about when communicating a clear message to someone or a group of people. When you are presenting to experts in the field, you don’t want to explain every little detail and sound condescending. At the same time you want to ensure you tell enough so the audience understands the purpose of the presentation. Be clear on the intent of the message based on your audience.
Context is also an important factor when communicating. Are you telling a story or explaining how to do something? In both cases it comes down to the level of details. There needs to be a soft middle where you do not over explain into many details to bore them but at the same time, enough details to captivate their attention. It’s the goldilocks effect. You don’t want to little or to much detail, just enough so the other person is hooked.
Imagine a scenario where a manager talks to one of their employees about a specific report. The manager needs to keep in mind a few factors when talking to an employee about the report. These include how much details does the employee need to know to complete the report. The manager needs to give the employee enough information so they know the purpose of the project, how to get it started but not tell them how to do everything. The employee needs freedom to experiment and add their own flare to the project. That being said, the manager needs to make it clear the employee experiment and work through problems. This will give them the liberty to explore opportunities and to reflect by themselves when faced with an obstacle. The employee can get creative and will learn a lot more along the way.
Certainly as a manager, the easiest and fastest way to communicate with employees about a project is to give them every step to lead them to the end result. However, there are a few reasons why this will be detrimental long-term. The manager will be under a lot of pressure explaining everything about every task to all employees. All tasks and projects are different even though they might seem similar. Unforeseen issues will arise and because the employees are expected to follow the plan according to your instructions, they will not be able to overcome the obstacles. Therefore you do not want to give out the answer but point them in the right direction and let them take the lead how to get to the end. This might be longer at the beginning but eventually the employee will benefit from trying things on their own and begin to problem solve on their own and be more and more independent. Communicate the purpose, give them direction and let them explore different avenues how to get to the end. You never know what they come up with and will even surprise you.
Whomever you are communicating with, the same factors apply. Remember to be clear of your intentions and the end results.
Take care.