You want to be a better communicator. What’s the first step you should take?

Know Your Audience: Understanding your audience is crucial for effective communication. Utilize Communication Tools: Tools like DISC or MBTI assessments can help identify communication styles. Adapt Your Communication: Flexibility is key. A salesperson adjusted his pitch based on the client's communication style, leading to a successful deal. Practice Active Listening: Listening attentively shows respect and understanding, can enhance trust and collaboration Seek Feedback: Feedback is essential for growth. A teacher sought feedback from students on her communication style, leading to adjustments that enhanced learning outcomes. Seeking feedback can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your communication skills effectively.

Do you really know your team? Do you know how epic they are? Do you know their strengths and weaknesses? When you really dig into their personalities, who they are and what they're like it'll make your life so much easier. Trust me.

The first step to becoming a better communicator is active listening. By attentively listening to others, you can understand their perspectives, respond appropriately, and foster meaningful dialogue and connection.

Everyone can learn something from someone. No matter who you are... so stay open minded. Ask questions, listen to your team and be open to new opportunities!

Experiment, assess and pivot - you need to figure out what's working and what's not working. Use stories, be vulnerable, use visuals, use different sources of tech.. figure out what works best for you and your team!

Look at the responses you get. Were they in line with your expectations? Sometimes we think we have been clear (from our perspective) when we have not (from the alternative perspective). Things you can do 1) Check their understanding before they take action 2) Don't make any assumptions or check assumptions 3) Ask again if it's clear - Sometimes you'll need to give permission e.g. I'd much prefer it now if you raise anything - there are no stupid questions.

In any new endeavor, I always start with education! What is there to know about that subject? The most important factor in determining what content you consume, determine who has the results you want in their lives, specifically from that particular subject. MAKE SURE THEIR FRUIT IS WORTH EATING! If they spout something, but haven't achieved results, don't eat the fruit. Learn all you can from credible sources. Go practice talking to strangers in low stakes environments like the grocery store, at a game, at the bar. Then give it a real push with different audiences/test ideas. The biggest factor I've seen is letting go of what I want and just focusing on getting to know them as a person. Drop titles/differences and just go make friends.

Seek to understand & adjust your communication style to suit your audiences preferences. In other words be interested and interesting