The late great Jim Rohn, was more than just a great speaker, he was a modern day philosopher. One of my favorite quotes by him “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say, ‘Me, too!’ versus ‘So what?’” epitomizes what communication should be all about, especially in the workplace.
As a leader, being able to communicate effectively is probably your best asset. But communication is more than just great articulation and powerful prose. No, the most important part of communicating is eliciting a meaningful, even emotional, response from your listeners. As you go into the weekend, thank about how you communicate with your employees. Are you doing everything you can to convey messages to them that elicit a “Me, too” response? Or are you often met with indifference or apathy?
If it’s the latter, come into work on Monday with a commitment to improve your communication, whether it is formal or informal, following these steps:
- Define your purpose. Why are you communicating? What emotions do you want to evoke or actions do you want to spur?
- Outline the points you want to make. Write down one to no more than three messages that are critical for you to convey.
- Decide why your message matters to your listeners. Make sure that you see the situation from their perspective. How will they be affected? What will they feel when they hear the news? How ultimately will they benefit?
- Communicate your point from that perspective. If you appeal to their sensibilities, you will more easily capture their attention and influence them to see the value in your message.
The best communication isn’t about sending your message. It’s about sending a message to your employees that they actually understand or buy-in to. It’s about ensuring that your message is received. Take care to make that happen.
What is the best communication advice you’ve every read or received?
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