How to Communicate Effectively at Work

Today’s Tuesday Reading, “How to Communicate Effectively at Work”  first appeared two years ago as a nine picture slide deck embedded in a Forbes’ article  that reports on Karen Friedman’s book Shut Up And Say Something:  Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners.  The author of the article is by Susan Adams.

For me, this piece provides an excellent set of reminders, at the beginning of a school year, for how we should be communicating.  The titles from the nine slides tell the entire story:

1.  Be crisp, clear and concise.  Edit yourself, include specifics and keep your speech short.

2.  Hit the headline first.  Make the most important point at the beginning.

3.  Make it about them.  Pay attention to your listeners and their concerns.

4.  Attitude is important.  Stand up straight, look the other person in the eye and put away all gadgets.

5.  Ask open-ended questions.  Draw the other out with questions such as “Could you clarify your point?”

6.  If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.  Don’t be a gossip.

7.  No bull.  If you have a negative message to deliver, don’t beat around the bush.  Just say it.

8.  Deliver bad news in person.

9.  Don’t be a naysayer.  If you disagree, frame your disagreement as an open-ended question.

Nine rules and what’s really neat is that they apply equally well for a meeting between you and a colleague, a meeting with your team, or even in a larger setting as well as for something you are writing.

Why don’t you give them a try this week.  .  .  .    jim