Communication is the response you get from people. Let’s think about that for a moment.
When we talk about communication, we generally focus on how we communicate, what we communicate, when and where we communicate.
That is all well and good, and I’m not suggesting we stop considering those aspects of our communications. Today, however, I would like you to think about another facet of communication: the essence of communication is the response you get.
I recently saw a statistic on my LinkedIn feed that said 46% of people leave a meeting having little understanding of the information they heard. I don’t know the source of that percentage; however, the number is startling and disconcerting. And it led me to wonder what each of us can do to ensure that statistic is not representative of our communication skills or prevalent in our organization.
So here are five thoughts for your consideration:
- The burden to communicate clearly always falls on the presenter, not the listener.
- Be present; don’t allow your mind to wander as you talk with people. Take three deep breaths before you respond.
- Slow down. People don’t hear what you say, they hear what they think you said. Our brains interpret what we hear and automatically make subtle changes in the message.
- Listen to understand. Don’t listen to vote.
- Ask great questions. The answers will add clarity to your communications and help you appreciate what people heard.
The next time you make a presentation or have a one-on-one conversation, pay attention to the response you receive. It may be just the feedback you need to be an even better communicator than you are today. It certainly helped me!
Do you want to talk more about communication strategies and the role it plays in EOS®? I invite you to complete the contact form below to schedule a 15-minute consult with me. I can speak to the importance of communication both as a business owner and as an EOS Implementer™. Communication is a crucial part of the EOS® process. Let’s use it to make sure our message is heard and understood.
