Communication that feels right
“Getting communication right means we connect meaningfully, being heard while making others feel seen.”
How many times have you been frustrated that something you said, or wrote has been misunderstood? I’ve often joked that the troubles of the world could all be avoided if only we got better at communicating. And anyone in a relationship knows only too well how communication can make or break the enjoyment of the day.
Yet despite this, how is it that we so often get things wrong? As communication really is the lifeblood of success – both personal and professional, I have a lifetime passion for searching for ways to get it right!
Let me share a couple of tips that I use to tune into communication that makes people feel good and improves that chances that the message is well received.
Audience: It may seem basic, but step one is to remember who you are talking to. If it’s a bulk mail or communique then I like to create a persona of who is reading or hearing the message. Even better, I use an actual person and mentally place them on a chair in front of me as I write. This softens and personalises the message, making it easier to smooth any rough edges in tone or language.
Action: Be clear what outcome is wanted from the message. What action do you want your audience to do with the information? Being clear on this will help you to craft a message that is simple and well structured.
Attention: A message with one single theme is more likely to get strong attention. Each time you add a point, you dilute the message of the first point. These days few of us have the luxury of lazy days to read or listen so unless you are writing a novel it’s important that messages are short, easy to understand and layered in a way that makes for engaging reading.
Accuracy: Checking your written comms for grammar and spelling is important but as communication is as much about feeling as it is about information I like to send myself a test email and read my words out loud to also test how the message makes me feel. Often a single word can completely change the tone of a message. How we feel about a message builds or breaks trust.
And the beauty is that when we get our communication right, we feel heard and so does our audience!
