Question the Why of Your Communication
By @Jontyson on Unsplash
We are all bombarded with hundreds of communications every day. Everything from billboards telling us we need storage space, to emails from our boss asking us to handle something, to text messages from a family member wondering how you are. All of these communications have something in common: they are all trying to get us to do something.
But have you ever stopped to think about the communication you are putting out into the world? Do you know why you're telling a specific story in your team meeting? If not, it’s time to up your communication game.
Being able to understand the why of your communications is a super power that will make talking (and writing!) easier at work. How can you get clear on your why? Try boiling it down to one word - one verb to be precise. I know this can sound daunting, but with a little practice it can become second nature.
Unless you’re having a meandering conversation with a friend, it’s likely you are sharing your thoughts to accomplish something specific. Some examples of desired outcomes include:
Teaching a colleague how you accomplish a task so they can start managing the task.
Selling a client on buying more of your services.
Convincing your team that your idea is the best idea.
All of these statements can be boiled down to the verb you are aiming for. So when you are selling a client, you are hoping to sell. When you are convincing your team you are persuading.
When communication is important, take a moment to boil down what you want into one word. Why? Once you know what you’re trying to do you can be sure the rest of your communication focuses on that one thing. This is key to organizing your content.
Not sure what your one word is? Here are some ideas to get you started:
Brainstorm
Analyze
Share (Knowledge)
Receive (Feedback)
Reflect (on how a project went or how a team member’s performance was)
Knowing why you are communicating is the first step to organizing your content. If you’d like more help on how to be sure your communication is clear, reach out to learn more about my Organizing Your Content Workshop.