The Power of Communication

The way you communicate is the key determinant of how others perceive you. High impact communication requires stating your point of view and then ideally providing only one or two supporting points. I call this “Point of View plus Two”. It’s critical to frame your points for two reasons: 1) it helps your audience know what to expect next, and 2) it will ensure that you stay on point and avoid taking distracting tangents. This technique has consistently helped developing leaders become more effective communicators.

The other trick I teach leaders is called “White Board Erase”. The concept is essentially that when you say something that you don’t mean to, you can just immediately restate it by saying ‘hang on, that isn’t exactly what I meant to say’ or ‘to rephrase that’. In most instances, your audience will forget the mistaken comment and only remember how you improved upon it.

What are your communication strategies?

I recently read an article published by the National Life Group Blog, titled The Power of Communication. This blog resonated with me as it highlights the importance of communication along with the potential downfalls that bad communication can cause.

“Communication can solve, or cause problems. It is the way we represent ourselves, make requests, and share how we feel about the world and others. It’s our personal marketing and branding tool. I believe it is one of the most important intangible assets we have as human beings.

Have you ever been upset with someone but after learning the details, realized that thing you were so upset about didn’t even exist or occur? Or perhaps you’ve been the victim of someone else’s anger as a result of their misunderstanding? Communication or the lack thereof is powerful enough to make or break any relationship.”

The author then goes on to highlight a list of interesting and effective communication tools:

• Listen with the intent to understand vs. respond.

• Be self-aware of how your communication style is perceived by others. Ask for feedback.

• Do your homework. Know your audience. How will the message impact them, what’s in it for them, and most importantly what do they stand to lose?

• Communicate with compassion.

• Mimic skills you admire about an effective communicator.

• Clarify if you think there is a chance your message is being misinterpreted:

  • Avoid discussing when you are upset.

  • Gather and focus on the facts.

  • Before speaking, consider whether what you have to say will add value to the desired outcome. If not, it’s probably better left unsaid.

Read the original article here.