7 Steps for Better Communication

Communication; it seems simple. If you were to track the origins of problems you encounter when working with others, miscommunication, or lack of communication, will be the root cause of them all.

My background in B2B work environments has provided opportunities to communicate with a variety of companies across many industries. In my experience, whatever industry you are in, ineffective (or insufficient) communication always contributes to the larger problems. As you continue to read, consider the role of the communicator as the "Messenger" and the person or people receiving the communication as the "Audience". The purpose of this article is to outline some healthy habits for better communication.

It is common for Messengers to be familiar with their Audience. This comfort and familiarity leads to Messengers pretense about what needs to be communicated. Assumptions are the fundamental problem of poor communication. In most cases the communication is missing important details that the Audience needs but the Messenger considers irrelevant. 

Example:

I remember in 3rd grade we had a "listening test". Everyone was instructed to pull out 4 specific colored markers. Our teacher passed out paper with some shapes on it and gave us directions: "I will read instructions once, pause for 10 seconds, and read the instructions again. After a short time I will go on to the next instruction. That's it. You hear the instruction twice and we move on."

I didn't do so well on this test. It still bothers me when I think about it. Instead of coloring the triangle red we were supposed to outline the triangle in red. Instead of connecting the circle and the hexagon with one blue line we were supposed to make three blue lines.

"Assumptions are the fundamental problem of poor communication."

Communication is about mutual understanding. Mutual understanding can only occur when you omit all pretense. These steps can help a communicator reduce their unavoidable assumptions:

1. Check that your audience is ready to listen
2. Articulate the purpose of the message
3. Describe what action needs to be taken
4. Explain what outcomes are expected
5. Suggest a timeline (if relevant)
6. Check for understanding
7. Solicit relevant questions

Revisiting the example of my 3rd grade teacher, had she given the instructions:

"Pull out 4 markers. We are going to test the importance of communication. I'm going to ask you to draw specific things with a specific color. You should expect to change colors often. We're going to move fairly quickly so don't waste time putting the cap back on your markers. I'm only going to announce the instructions twice before moving on. Pay attention to every detail. Before we start I want to make sure you understand, what questions do you have about this exercise?"

Notice the differences from my original example? These instructions cover the effective communication suggestions. It should be clear how these instructions set the audience up for success.

"The purpose of this article is to outline some healthy habits for better communication."

The Audience has responsibilities too. It is the responsibility of the Messenger to articulate purpose, action, etc. The Audience has the burden of active listening and applying the message. The Audience should:

1. Remove distractions (especially anything with a screen)
2. Make eye contact. Demonstrate you are ready to listen.
3. Listen (taking notes by hand can help)
4. Rephrase/summarize the message to confirm understanding.
5. Solicit feedback or ask for clarification on purpose, actions, & expectations.
6. Take action, plan, do.

Importance:

Pretense and assumptions are part of human nature. You have to be deliberate about avoiding assumptions when communicating. When you are part of a team or company that communicates effectively, there is no better place to work. Effective communication saves time, money, and increases professional development. 

With the time savings, you can have more face to face meetings. With the face to face meetings you can have more professional development. With professional development you can brush up on your communication skills and with good communication skills, you can help a class of 3rd graders prepare better for a ‘communication test’.

I still can’t believe how hard that test was.