Structuring Effective Communication

A recent Linkedin global inventory of the most in-demand skills for professionals found that nine out of ten global executives agree that soft skills (aka “human” or “durable” skills) are more important than ever. Thus, it is not surprising that communication ranks No. 1 on the 2024 list of overall most in-demand skills in a world which is learning to live with what AI can and cannot do.

In an era of hybrid work, employees communicate using a range of channels and platforms. Since in-person collaboration is not as frequent, effective communication from the company and team leadership across multiple channels is necessary to help engage, bond and inspire teams. For example, AI can churn out various messages to use as a first draft, but you need human intervention to distil, sanitize, structure, and decide which communication channel would work best.

The HBR article, "A Simple Hack to Help You Communicate More Effectively" from Matt Abrahams, a lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, provides a useful tip to enable effective communication which relies on having a set structure.

Just like a story which has a typical structure of the opening/exposition, the inciting incident, rising action/crises, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution, so it is with this three-question structure in communication: What, So What, Now What.

• What: Describe and define the facts, situation, product, position, etc.
• So What: Discuss the implications or importance for the audience. In other words, the relevance to them.
• Now What: Outline the call-to-action or next steps, such as taking questions or setting up a next meeting.

Having this three-question structure for various communication scenarios, be it ad hoc interactions or key business presentations, has a few benefits. Firstly, with a roadmap in mind, it makes it easy for the presenter to commit to memory and for the audience to remember. Secondly, boiling down the messages in a clear and logical way makes it simple for the listeners to understand and act.?

Matt Abrahams likens this structure to the Swiss Army Knife, known for its versatility and reliability, because the structure is flexible and useful in different communication situations.

Here is an example of answering a question in a job interview, 'Why are you qualified for this job?':?

• What: I have over xx years of experience in [your area of expertise] addressing challenges such as - elaborate on how you have overcome these challenges or projects which showed your ability to manage, collaborate and problem-solve.
• So What: These previous experiences will - explain how you will help add value to the company you intend to join e.g. benefit its customers, bottom-line, growth ambitions etc.?
• Now What: Describe the next steps the employer could take - I’m happy to have you discuss my experience/qualifications with some former clients or referees.?

Having a rough and ready communication structure takes the stress from trying to formulate something off-the-cuff. This three-question framework can help to enhance communication clarity, efficiency, and effectiveness. Try it sometime...

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